Purpose
by Firesword
Summary: COMPLETED! A Post-OOTP fic, Harry's sixth-year. Sirius is back and more adventures unfold when Snape joins in with the family. Harry now has more than just Voldemort to worry about....
1. The Welcoming Committee

**__**

Author's Notes:

**Overall summary of the entire fic: **

This story begins during the summer holiday of 1996, post-OOTP.

Harry is hellbent on thinking that his godfather is somehow still alive but there is no evidence that tells him that Sirius is dead or alive. The Veil was just more than a passageway to the Otherworld as Dumbledore had informed some of the members of the Order that there is still a chance that Sirius is still hanging around, somewhere. Harry however, was kept in the dark, for they feared to bring his hopes up. 

Sirius had managed to stumble into a grove and his pain attracted a lot of attention of the Elementals living in the area. Fortunately for Sirius, Fenix Maxwell, who is a Master of the Fire Element and also of the Air, was living in the general area where Sirius had fallen unconscious. Fenix Healed Harry's godfather while her sister, a normal Muggle nurse, helped to patch Sirius up.

When Sirius woke up to find that he was in a bedroom and not St. Mungo's, his alerts went up but he trusted Fenix enough that she means no harm to him. So, a lot of things happened in that time span when Sirius was recuperating in Fenix's house, including an attack from the Dementors and Harry had already gone on to spend the rest of his summer with a werewolf and the Weasleys in The Burrow. 

Carrying out a cryptical message that had been in fact, sent by Fenix on the instant it was midnight, brought out what he thought was the best birthday present in his life. Harry didn't quite know how to react to Fenix when she came to live in The Burrow, but her sense of humor intrigued him and to his disbelief, Cupid had released the arrow and Fenix was trapped by a pair of soft, hazel brown eyes. Sometime during their stay at The Burrow, they found that they have to cope with the attitude of a very irritating wizard: The Potions Master. Dumbledore had forced Snape to take a vacation and spend the rest of his summer until term starts in the company of the Fire Master. Fenix's excuse as she had explained it to Harry, was because she wanted to keep an eye on the Potions Master. 

There's much more happening in this fic, as Time moved forward, the Future guided by the small and big deeds of those alive. So read on, if you wish to find out what happens to the people of Hogwarts when the Fire Master begins her career there, when someone gets disowned, when two individuals finally became oathbrothers. 

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~ Chapter 1: The Welcoming Committee ~   


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End of Spring

It was quiet in the three-story house belonging to a tanned-skin woman with long, raven black hair. The twenty-six year old was humming absently to herself as she prepared an extra room for her elder sister, who was taking a vacation to visit her in Scotland. Her concentration was broken when something leapt at her back and instantly knocked her down to the floor. She struggled briefly, and managed to get onto her back to fend off the attacker's muzzle. 

_: Silver! Get off me! Bloody hell, you're not a cub anymore! : _She 'yelled' using her mind to communicate to the huge silver-furred wolf. Another set of paws tickled her feet, as the wolf's mate Wind joined in the fun. Fenix wiggled desperately out and curled into a ball, her hands clutching her waist as she laughed uncontrollably. 

_: Sorry! I think your sister has arrived. : _Storm sat on his haunches regally as his penetrating silver-black eyes gazed at hers. Wind sidled up against him, nibbling on his neck ruff gently, before turning to grin at Fenix. 

Fenix controlled her laughter and gave an unlady-like snort at the bigger of the two wolves. _: You need to work on your language. You definitely sound common-born and not at all suitable for your current pose, :_ she said haughtily, as she got up to her feet and straightened her blouse. She heard the sound of a car engine as it abruptly pulled in, with the noise vibrating loudly in the garage. She grinned widely and went down the stairs briskly, almost flying out of the house to give her elder sister a warm hug. 

"Fenix, act your age," Giselle Liana Maxwell said in exasperation, but returned her sister's hug. She drew back from her younger sister and looked at her in amazement. "What have you done to yourself? Dieting again?" she demanded, looking at her sister's trim body. 

"Nonsense! Dieting is too troublesome, so I did it the hard way, running. You should try it," Fenix suggested mildly as she looked archly at her sister's waistline. 

"Huh, as if I have the time to do that!" 

"Really? Then how come you have the time to pay attention to that handsome black-haired Elven guy?" Fenix asked, giving her sister a sly look. 

"What--how did you know that he's an elf?" Giselle demanded, looking wildly at Fenix as they went back into the house, struggling to bring the suitcases she had brought with her to the second floor. 

"Sis, in case you hadn't noticed, I have a pair of eyes that work perfectly well. I'd grant you that his disguise is excellent, but it's just that I have a tendency to spot the Otherworldly," Fenix replied in an offhanded manner. "All in all, he was rather charming about the whole thing. I'd often wondered about his reactions when he found out that his disguise didn't fool me in the least. And Aldren-- you do know that he is Derian's older brother, right?" she inquired of her sister, who nodded. Fenix continued, "Although I knew about the whole thing all along, Aldren didn't want to enlighten his younger bro that I saw through the disguise. He wanted to continue his pretense that Derian is a human librarian. It worked rather well, since Derian was off studying in Ireland when I came to the Grove to continue my education." 

"No kidding. I knew you're damn eccentric sometimes, but I didn't know it went _that_ far. It happened when you got into that accident right? The one that occurred eight years ago? When our family--" Giselle faltered then looked curiously as her sister helped her unpack her luggage. Her younger sister was shaking her head. 

"Wrong, I was like this since I reached puberty. You know what they say about having sixth sense as a child. It tends to fall into disuse when you hit that stage, but well, I guess my Gifts stayed." 

"Huh, should have expected it," her sister grumbled and fell silent as the two women began sorting out the clothing and hanging them in the wardrobe. _"Aargh!"_ Giselle suddenly screamed as Silver fell on her and began licking her face. "Silv, yuck! This is disgusting! Get off, wolf!" she giggled helplessly as the silver wolf licked her face for several more moments and then trotted off to sit near Fenix's heels. "Have any of your neighbors noticed them?" Giselle asked her sister with concern, finally noting the size of the male wolf. 

"Yeah, they have, but they don't say much about them. Just to let me know that it's all right for me to take care of the wolves. The people living around here are more of the eccentric type," Fenix shrugged as she hung the last item from the suitcase and closed the door of the wardrobe. 

"I see, so they know about the elves back in the woods?" Giselle asked her as she stacked the suitcases and kicked them to send the stack sliding noisily under the bed. 

"Sis, this is Scotland after all. How can they _not_ know about the Fair Ones?" Fenix replied, going to her own bedroom to get several towels for her sister. 

"Okay, that was a rather stupid question," Giselle agreed, as she accepted the towels with a nod of thanks. "Well, I'll go and wash up. I hope you have something good to eat; I'm famished!" she raised her voice a little as she closed the bathroom door. Fenix grinned after her and went into her own room to bathe. 

_ : Now, don't go messing with either of us after we've washed, : _she warned Silver. _: Promise? :_

__

: Cross my heart? : The wolf replied roguishly. 

She gave a throaty laugh, hugging the wolf and rubbing his neck affectionately. _: What would my life be like if I don't have the both of you with me now? :_ She squeezed the silver wolf fondly. 

Wind trotted up to her and gave a nibble on her long black hair before answering her human friend. _: Probably you would be bored and a little more desperate to catch a boyfriend. : _The grayish wolf with a streak of black along her muzzle replied impudently. 

_: You could be right, : _Fenix said as she hugged the female and stepped into the bathroom. While the two wolves went down the stairs slowly to wait in the kitchen, Fenix's thought reached their minds. _: But then--maybe not! :_

**********

"Those things we caught on the digi-cam --what are they?" Derian, a seemingly handsome, black-haired human with an unusual pair of ears and eyes asked Aldren the elf. The latter was currently dressed in a dark brown scout's clothing and was precariously balancing himself on a tree branch. His other hand held a digital-camera; a gift from his friend, and sometimes sparring partner, Fenix R. Maxwell. 

_ : Be quiet! I'm trying to listen to Evangiana's thought, :_ he said rather absently, as the elf frowned in concentration. _: Giana says that the creatures have already disappeared. :_ Aldren informed his brother as he switched the digi-cam off. "Fenix will have to know about this," the elf muttered darkly. 

"Wait a minute! Don't you mean Giselle? And how do you know she's here?" Derian hissed. 

"What in hell are you talking about? This isn't Giselle's home or wood!" 

"But Fenix doesn't know about us!" Derian protested. "Does she?" he continued timidly as his elder brother gave him a frown. 

_: By the hands of Phoebus! Are you even my brother? :_ Aldren exclaimed in indignation, his cat-like eyes widening incredulously. _: You can't even tell that she's one of the Ancients? :_

_: What? :_ Derian yelped, switching to mindspeech. :_ But that stuff the Elders tell us about the Ancients is just stories! :_

__

: For entertainment? : Aldren leaned towards his brother, his eyes flashing dangerously. Before the older of the elves managed to do the younger harm, a voice spoke up from below them. 

_"'Scuse me, would ya mind getting off me branch? Ye lads are giving me trunk the aches,"_ the Tree requested humbly. The elves looked incredulously down towards the middle of the trunk to see a pair of wrinkled brown eyes and a rough mouth looking at them with amusement. Aldren quickly jumped off the branch with the agility of an acrobat and stared at the Tree with shock. 

"You're a Mnid," Aldren whispered, his voice thick with wonder. Then he turned to his brother, who was dusting off broken twigs and dry leaves from his trousers with trembling hands. _: Just stories eh? What is this one, then, if not one of the Ancients? :_ Aldren demanded. 

**********

Fenix was frying tempura for their dinner as her sister made a big jug of fruit punch. The two wolves were in a corner screened by canvas, where they sat and tore at the fresh haunch of beef that Fenix had provided them. Giselle swerved her head and looked curiously at the kitchen door. Then as she began to think that she had imagined the knock, another vibrated through the room. Fenix signaled her sister to take over the frying as she moved towards the kitchen door and looked through the peephole. She giggled as Aldren made a funny face right at her. 

"Looks like your knight is here, Sis," Fenix said mischievously. Giselle glowed for a moment, her eyes going distant. She stuck her tongue at her younger sister before dipping in a fresh batch of prawns. Fenix opened the door, giving the older elf a hug, a chaste kiss, and a smile to Derian. 

_ : Is that enough for the four of us? : _Aldren asked hopefully, gazing longingly at the golden-brown of fried prawns. 

_: Yes, Aldren, :_ Fenix sighed, _: I knew you would be dropping by, :_ she glanced obliquely at Derian as he cast several wild-eyed looks at her, _: and what's wrong with your brother? :_

_: I had just informed him that you are the Phoenix. And that you knew of our existence a long time ago. :_

She looked at Derian with amusement. _: Didna' take it too well I imagine, soon-to-be-brother-in-law? :_ She gave him a disdainful look as he stood still, gaping in shock. She rolled her eyes theatrically as Aldren chuckled softly. Giselle caught their attention with the sound of clearing her throat and stared at the three of them, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. 

_: Nothing, sister of mine. :_

__

: Nothing, dear. Didn't know that your sister could use mindspeech. : 

__

: You can? : Giselle asked Fenix. 

_: Well, I just did, didn't I? : _Fenix replied in confirmation, adopting an innocent expression on her face. 

_ : Shame on you! Should have told me earlier, : _her sister gave a reproachful look. 

"Well, since you know now, I might as well tell you that you can communicate with the wolves the same way," Fenix said helpfully, looking at the wolves who were nearly completing their dinner. Giselle gave a gasp of surprise and looked at Silver in concentration. After a moment, her face began to turn red slowly and she broke off and concentrated on frying some more prawns. 

"By the way, did you know about the tree beside the mint grove?" Aldren asked Fenix casually. 

"Yes, but why do you ask?" she replied as casually, giving him a careful look. 

"Nothing. By the way, I have something to show you. This thing came in handy as I was patrolling just now," Aldren said as he patted the digital video camera fondly. Then he gave a frown as a red light flashed. He cursed and she smiled gently at the swearing elf. 

"Don't worry, Aldren. Go ahead and use the computer to recharge it. I keep an extra cable in the black drawer." 

"You're a thoughtful girl," Aldren said fondly. 

"Nah, not thoughtful, just well prepared," Fenix disagreed. 

**********

"Derian, rewind that--okay...now pause!" Fenix instructed firmly as the elves, humans, and wolves crowded around the television. Aldren adjusted the visual a little and Fenix shivered involuntarily as she looked at the TV screen. 

_ : Is that a werewolf? They look… grotesque. : _Giselle asked in their minds, not trusting the environment around them. Fenix did not blame her sister, although she had placed shields on the house and then cast an extra layer that expanded all the way to the wood. Silver and Wind pushed against them and studied the unmoving picture silently. 

After a moment, Silver spoke up. _: That is not a werewolf. I could give you several reasons why it is not. One; it's still daylight and even if the moon came out early, we're having the full moon on next Monday. It's only Wednesday now. Two; A werewolf does not wear a cloak. It might have worn something but it will probably ended up in tatters-- :_

Fenix interjected. _: And three; those things really look like rotten thin-- :_ Suddenly she stopped as her eyes took a distant look. Aldren frowned slightly and waited for her to speak up. _: Giana says that the creatures were just passing through. And she tells me something else; she had managed to find out from a careful probe that the things _are _dead and she says that they're some kind of an evil version of an Empath, : _she said, her eyes focusing sharply on the TV screen. 

_: Now that's wrong thinking for a werewolf to have, :_ Derian agreed, his arm snaking out to hold Giselle lightly on her waist. 

_ : Damn, I'm wishing now that I hadn't seen this. And right before I go to bed, : _Giselle complained, her face still pale. 

_: Don't worry, I'm here. :_

__

: Would you like me to stay too? : Aldren whispered. 

Fenix gave him a very sad look that did not escape her sister's alert eyes. 

_: If you don't mind, :_ she said, _: I think I would really like to have someone to wake me up before I get nightmares. :_

**********


	2. The Elementals

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~ Chapter 2: The Elementals ~   


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The next morning…

Fenix tried to move and finally managed to wrench herself from her sleep. Aldren was sleeping soundly beside her, with a bolster in between, separating them. A pair of luminous eyes suddenly flashed across the room as Silver padded quietly to stand beside the bed. 

__

: What is it? : The wolf asked in concern, touching his nose on her sweat-drenched cheek. 

__

: It's--I just saw someone. He was trapped in between portals. I don't really know if it's Farsight or Foresight. Or they could be just dreams. : Fenix said, her Mindvoice layered with tiredness. She lay motionlessly on the bed and sniffed at the air. She sighed and sat up on the bed. _: I might as well get up and cook some breakfast. Sun just came up. Go ahead and sleep. :_

__

: And leave you in the kitchen alone? Oh no-- not after last night, : the huge wolf said firmly. 

__

: Silv, don't be ridiculous! : Fenix said in exasperation. 

__

: I do have a reason to be paranoid. They got through the wood's defense after all. : 

__

: I guess you are right, I'm not exactly sure how they went through the trees without gaining attention of the Nymphs or me_ for that matter, : s_he admitted grudgingly. She slipped on her robe and went downstairs silently, barefoot. _: It's just as well that the Fair Ones are still sticking to scouting around or we wouldn't have known about their presence until it's too late. :_

Fenix had just managed to finish cooking some scrambled eggs when her sister came down to the kitchen looking rather haggard. 

"So… nightmares or just entertainment?" Fenix asked her sister without so much as an eye-blink as she poured some orange juice for herself. 

"Both," her sister growled as she opened a package of ready-made pancake mix and began to batter the mix up. Fenix handed her a pan and turned her attention to boil some sausages. When the two sisters were done, they began to arrange the sumptuous breakfast on the table. 

"So what were your nightmares about?" Fenix asked as she cut up some fresh meat for the wolves. 

"I don't really know. It didn't make any sense anyway. First, Derian chased me down and then suddenly the horrible thing we saw on the video stood right in front of me. Then I felt as if my soul was being sucked down until you came, holding nothing more than a ball of blue fire and hurled it against that thing. It didn't much resemble any creature after that; you incinerated that thing down to ashes. Make anything out of it?" Giselle asked as she plopped down onto the chair. She began to eat her share of pancakes with a nice helping of maple syrup, not really caring that she might put on a few more pounds by the time her annual leave ended. Giselle suddenly stopped chewing as two pairs of eyes looked penetratingly at her. "What?" Giselle asked in curiosity. 

"Are you sure the ball was blue?" Fenix asked in a strangely strangled voice. 

"The ball _was_ blue. It wasn't exactly a ball, more like a sphere and it was made of _blue fire_," Giselle asserted with conviction. 

"Hey girls! Good morn--" the two elves were saying when Fenix suddenly interrupted them. 

"Alert the Fair Ones and our neighbors. Those things we saw on the video have just fallen into the 'dangerous' category," she said brusquely, and stared at Derian fiercely until he closed his mouth and averted his face from her direct stare. 

"But Giana said that those things were just passing through," Aldren said dubiously. 

"Remember the other time when you dreamt about me coming to you holding a twig surrounded by blue fire, to save you from drowning? What happened then?" Fenix asked curtly. Aldren stood rigidly as his eyes flashed with anger. 

"A section of our Grove burned," he answered, gritting his teeth with suppressed anger. 

"Exactly. Giselle dreamt of the creature sucking the soul out of her and I came holding a ball of blue fire. Let's not wait until it's too late for us to take any kind of action." 

"All right, we'll warn them," Aldren agreed and then his eyes lit up, "but after breakfast." 

Fenix threw a spoonful of sticky maple juice right up on his handsome face. 

************

****

Three weeks after, Summer. Between worlds… 

Sirius Black hung in stasis in the moving darkness. Every now and then, flashes of lightning rippled through the dark. Far away in the darkness, he could hear voices. The voices blended in with each other so that they could only be heard as a low rumbling noise. He was not thinking too clearly at the moment, for his body was racked with pain as tendrils of lightning energy hit him. 

__

I have to get out! I have to! God, how James will kill me if something happens to Harry! Have to go back…his thought died as a great bolt of silver lightning hit him right on the center of his chest. _Nothingness…_

************

Sirius was awake, again. His throat was dry and he felt very tired. His wand lay motionlessly in mid-air. He tried to speak out to give a command, but he found he could not move a single muscle. He stared at his wand in frustration. _It's as if someone has placed a body-binding spell on me._ _Time is running out…I have to get back to Harry…just to let him know I'm still alive! Wormtail…when we meet…I'm going to make you pay for the pain you've caused Harry and the Headmaster…Yesss… I will get you…_

His eyes widened. The voices were coming closer to him. _You will not claim me for your own,_ he thought hard at the darkness, and he could feel them flinching away. Sirius was even more determined to get out. Determined to get back to the living. 

************

Sirius was sweating pretty heavily. So far, he had not been struck by lightning for the past hour. Alarm had begun to settle in. The shadows flitted out of sight in the darkness. _I really hope that Time doesn't play an element in this place. Years could have passed by without me knowing it._ Quite suddenly a picture formed in his mind and all he could see was a mint grove. The place seemed to be safe and he thought suddenly. _Take me there. Take me to the safe place!_

He felt all sides surrounding him begin to expand and contract and there was suddenly an opening. Much to his amazement, it was a shadow of the mint grove. A surge of adrenaline pounded in his nerves and at the sudden burst of energy, he propelled himself outward, one hand grabbing for his wand. He tumbled headlong out of the portal and into the glade. He shrieked as a sharp stone impaled him on his shoulder. _Just great_, was his thought as his consciousness slipped away. 

*********

****

At the Maxwells'... 

The house was quiet. The Elven brothers had still not returned from their Grove. Her sister had enclosed herself with Wind in Fenix's library as Giselle instantly fell in love with the collection of books. Fenix was out in the garden with Silver, raking out a new patch of soil to plant her chili seedlings in. She had just patted the ground firmly, when she found herself tumbling sideways and blacked out for a moment. 

Silver was licking her face anxiously as his mate and Giselle went down the steps frantically. Fenix fended off Silver's muzzle feebly as Giselle reached out for her and got her to a sitting position. Then she was immediately struggling up to her feet. 

"Sis, get back in the house. There's a man injured and I think I need your help in patching him up. Whatever you see me do, don't be surprised all right?" then she turned to Wind. "Stay with my Sis. If anything happens, sound the alarm." 

__

: Let's go; the man's terribly hurt. : Fenix said, sprinting towards to the middle of the woods. Just then, a horde of brownies was running clumsily towards her. 

"A man in the clearing!" they whispered urgently in high voices. "He's wounded deeply! The Greater Nymphs are with him, but they dare not do anything." 

"It's all right," Fenix replied haltingly as Silver shot past her, probably following the scent of blood, and disappeared in the distance. Fenix saw the Mnid bending down to look at the fallen man with concern, and then straighten up when he felt her presence. The great silver wolf was sniffing at the man, nudging a little at the man's fingers with his muzzle. 

__

: He's unconscious, a stone's wedged up right through his left shoulder, : Silver's thought reached her mind as the wolf peered down at the man worriedly. _: You had better get him in the house A.S.A.P. He's lost too much blood. :_

"By the wings of Aquilla," Fenix breathed heavily, as she Felt the man's pain. "You're right." 

Abruptly she called up to the greater Sylphs and upon their consent, the Sylphs each lay a hand under the unconscious man. With great precision, they jerked his body up and slid it off the stone with a sickening squelching sound. Fenix briefly gagged at the open wound, but used her power to stop the bleeding and infection. There was no time to waste; she briefly instructed the Nymphs and brownies to clean up the blood mess and she Jumped the Sylphs, the injured man, Silver and herself back to the house. 

Giselle let out a shriek before clamping her mouth tightly with her right hand. However, when she looked down at the limp body, she lost her nervousness and began ordering Fenix to get the man down on a bed. 

Fenix looked at a Sylph with bright auburn hair. _: Second floor, fourth room to the right. :_ The Sylph answered with a nod and they disappeared as they Teleported themselves into the bedroom. She turned to the brownies that peeped from the kitchen threshold diffidently. 

"Can we help?" one asked in a small voice. 

"Yes, you could--the first aid kit is in my room, the blue cupboard--" she said to Giselle. Then to the Earth Elementals, "Could you help me boil some water?" the brownies did not ask any more questions as they zoomed back into the kitchen for the appointed task. 

Fenix entered the bedroom to see the same auburn-haired Sylph had delicately undressed the injured man, a quite easy task as the man's clothing was in tatters, to reveal a naked body very much abused. The man had several scorch marks on his body and several deep gashes. 

"Fenix, don't you think it's much better if we place him in the care of the hospital?" Giselle asked, trembling a little at the wound at his shoulder. 

"Takes too much time and they'll ask a lot of questions; you handle the gashes, they probably need some stitching up anyway." 

"But how about that?" Giselle gulped as she pointed at the big wound. 

"I'll deal with it. I have to warn you that I might collapse after that," she frowned a little and gave a desperate thought. _Now I wish that Aldren, or even his brother was here to help._

The brownies trooped up the staircase, with two of them carrying a wooden chair and one carrying a pot of warm water. They acted as attendants to Giselle as she instructed them to clean the gashes with sterile cloth. Fenix, meanwhile, sat herself beside the man's left shoulder. Emptying her thoughts, she was only aware of the wound, as she shut herself out from the surroundings but not from the man's pain. _It's a good thing it's not his ribs._ Using her own life-energy, she directed it towards the wound, where it merged with the man's splintered scapula and collarbone. She focused on the restructuring of the bones as her Healing worked from the inside, marrow to bone. Only when his bones became whole again did she pour more of her energy to speed up the life cycles of the muscle cells and the reorganization of the nerve cells. 

Giselle stared at her sister and at the closing wound in amazement. _Wonder what other secrets she's keeping from me. _She shook her head a little and finished stitching a gash. _I would really like to look at his back._ She whispered to a brownie to get the dirty cloths down the kitchen and to replace the pot of water. Three brownies waddled out while Giselle looked at her sister worriedly. Fenix's forehead glistened with perspiration and Giselle let out a sigh of relief when she finally opened her eyes. 

Fenix fought down a wave of dizziness and waited until her vision stopped spinning. "Oh, you're done, let's have a look at his back before bandaging him up. By the way, his ribs are fine. I Saw no broken bones and no interior damage save the shoulder." 

A group of Sylphs had been standing by to help; they lifted the oblivious man and turned him on his front. Fenix tenderly laid her hand amongst the many scratches that were on his back while her sister paid attention to the more serious scratches. "I'm beginning to wish that you did not have to stitch him up. I'm the one who'll be sharing his pain when its time for them to come off," Fenix told her sister in a conversational tone as she saw the scratches turned into faint tendrils of scars. Her sister grunted her amusement. The brownies, after seeing the two women nearly finishing their final patching, brought wash water up, several clean rags, and a towel. 

"How come I never seen these guys--ah--I believe they are called Elementals--before?" Giselle asked, her voice tinged with curiosity. 

"Maybe you have a little Elemental magic yourself, usually we won't be able to see them--I mean normal people. But since we are of Mom's lineage, I guess a little bit of Magick has been passed down to us. I think it lies largely on the fact that I'm also one of the Elemental Mages. I could summon them at will and it only takes a little sixth sense to see them." 

"Let me guess; you specialize with Fire?" Giselle questioned. 

Fenix got up to dip a cloth in the clean, lukewarm water and began to wipe the stranger's body. "Well," Fenix started, "for my case it's a little different. Usually an Elemental Mage has only high affinity for one elemental. However, when they find themselves having two higher affinities, they usually drop one. Much like me dropping A. Maths and then concentrating on E. Maths. I'm both a Fire and Air Elemental Mage. But since these two Elementals could usually work together, I have no problems whatsoever." 

"I can accept that. So you're a Healer too? Any kind of side-effects after using that particular Gift?" 

"Yes, to both questions," Fenix paused as the man trembled a little under her touch. She continued to wipe his body gently and continued. "Healing comes from the Healer; if I'm not careful, you might end up with two invalids in the house. But I still have my reserves; the most I would do is fall asleep for a few hours. Other side-effects are that I would be feeling--ah--maybe the word that describes it is--ah--artificial pain." 

Fenix stopped talking, and they rested their aching hands as the Sylphs turned the stranger yet again. The brownies had placed an extra basin of water at her side. She picked up a clean face towel and dampened it to wipe at the stranger's face. Giselle caught her attention with a small gesture and looked at her sister in inquiry. 

"What do you mean by artificial pain?" Giselle asked. 

"I mean that…Well, take the wound in his shoulder; I would feel a severe discomfort in my left shoulder for the next few days." Comprehension dawned on her sister's face and they did their tasks in silence. 

"Fenix, we've mixed up a poultice for the deep cuts," a brownie whispered. 

"Thank you very much," Fenix replied gratefully. Once she was done, she got up and took out several clean bandages and a pair of scissors that was kept in her room. Giselle had already begun applying the poultice and it was therefore up to Fenix to wrap the bandage. She was surprised to see a six-inch cut on his right calf and blinked at her sister's precise, small and neat stitches. She grimaced a little and waited for her sister to apply the poultice on it. Fenix quickly unrolled the bandage, cut it off at an appropriate length, and began winding it around the man's calf. Using a touch of her magery, she sealed the ends. 

"That's why you don't bother with pins, I see," Giselle observed. 

Fenix stood up to stretch a little as several of her joints popped. She gave a little frown at a scorched mark at the exact center of his chest. "Hey, how come that escaped me?" Fenix asked, her voice sounding a little perplexed. 

"I dunno, it wasn't there a while ago," Giselle remarked as she peered closely down at the imprint. 

"I wonder if there's more of that," Fenix sighed futilely, as she extended her senses again, probing for new injuries. Finding none other than the one on his chest, she began Healing him again. She sank back onto the stranger's side, trembling a little with fatigue. Giselle got out a light blanket and covered the man. She too sank down at the foot of the bed, suddenly filled with exhaustion. 

"What do you think happened to this man?" 

"I don't really know Sis. All I can tell was that he got himself trapped in between portals. Those irregular scorch marks and the state of his clothes imply that." At her sister's puzzled expression, Fenix explained in detail. 

"A portal works like this: you build an archway, and in the space of that archway is the place where you want to go. There are three layers of places. The place where you're in, the doorframe--or whatever you wish to call it and the place where you wish to go. My guess of what happened to this stranger was that he fell through an activated Portal, but one without a destination. So, he found himself trapped in a Plane of Energy; meaning the doorframe. It holds nothing more than just space, rather like the galaxy and stars. But instead of stars, it contains energy. The easiest form of energy to take place is--" 

"Lightning!" Giselle cried out, snapping her fingers. 

"Yes, lightning. I'm afraid his clothing has to go down the bin. I wonder if Aldren can conjure up something for him. I don't think I have spare clothes for a man his size," Fenix said, standing up. She would have fallen down on the floor on her face if Aldren had not caught her shoulders in time. 

__

: Don't worry, the Elementals gave us the news. I will get something suitable for the stranger. You need to rest, : the Elf said gently in the depths of her mind. 

__

: After I wash up, : Fenix said, smiling a little. Aldren gave a helpless shrug and was about to say something about it before a Sylph cut him. 

__

: The man was holding something in his hand, : the auburn-haired Sylph said, as she held out her hand. She was holding an object that was wrapped in black silk. Fenix looked at the Sylph and took the wrapped bundle cautiously. Carefully peeling off the edges of the fabric, she saw it was a wand. There was no other word to describe it. 

__

The man is a wizard. Phoebus, there's just too much to think about. Fenix did not utter a word as she placed it on the mantelpiece and wrapped the wand with a protective spell. Then she turned to the Sylphs. _I'll worry about the man once my wits aren't so addled._

__

: Thank you for your help, : she said simply. 

__

: It was an honor for us to help you, lady, : the Sylph replied and with a smile. They vanished as well as the other Elementals that had come to help. 

"Well, I'll accompany you to your bath then," Aldren said. 

"Over my dead body." Giselle interrupted firmly as she guided Fenix to her room and into the bathroom. "Aldren, I want you and Derian to keep an eye on the sleeping man until I'm done." Then she firmly closed the bathroom door as she aided her sister. 

************


	3. Complexities of the Heart

****

~ Chapter 3: Complexities of the Heart ~   


****

At the Dursleys…

Petunia E. Dursley was staring blankly at the bedroom ceiling, while listening to her husband's snores. She was overwhelmed with a confusing mixture of feelings that night. This was because the Dursleys were shocked to their cores when the police officers arrived to reveal what their precious son was up to. Vernon was close to apoplexy by the time the police officers were gone, after giving the Dursleys strict warnings regarding their son. Her husband had remained silent after that, going straight up to the bedroom without touching his dinner that she had painstakingly prepared. Her Dudley did not at all look repentant as he shoved Harry out of his way to sit himself at the table. _And all this time, we thought Harry was the rotten one._

"Go to your room Dudley," Aunt Petunia instructed in a flat voice, her nose denting a little at her disappointment. Harry stared at her with shock. Evidently, Dudley too was caught surprised by his mother's reaction, as he froze midway of sitting down on the chair. 

"But I have not eaten anything yet!" Dudley protested in a shocked voice. 

"YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY DINNER!" Her voice suddenly cracked out like a whip. Harry was sure that she could be heard all around the neighborhood, as the air crackled. His cousin's face reddened slightly but the stocky boy marched off without a word. 

__

CRACK. 

Harry bristled with anger as his bedroom door was smashed by Dudley's kick. A door slammed and the house went silent. There was a diffident knock on the door. _Must be Professor Lupin._ Harry opened the door cautiously as Lupin went in, tilting his head a little at Aunt Petunia's direction. 

"Don't worry; I'll fix the door for you," the tired-looking man whispered as he made his way up the staircase. Professor Lupin treaded the corridor silently and shook his head at Harry's bedroom door. _They had better provide him with a counseling session soon, before the boy gets out of hand._ The Professor flicked his wand and whispered, _"Reparo."_

He walked down the stairs silently to meet Harry who was waiting for him. "No problem," then he gave a whisper, "are you all right?" 

Harry gave a nod, the Professor waved goodbye, and Harry shut the door firmly behind him. _They're still watching me. _His aunt interrupted his thoughts. 

"Harry," she called stiffly, and the teenage boy gave her a wary look, "eat your dinner before it gets cold." 

***********

Nymphadora Tonks exchanged an incredulous look with Professor McGonagall as both watched through the glass of the amplifier. 

***********

Petunia did a lot of soul-searching that very night. Then she heard a desperate cry coming from the next room and she sat up on the bed. It was coming from Harry's bedroom. After she had ensured, that Vernon was sound asleep and unlikely to wake up, she crept quietly out of the bedroom and paused to listen. She was awarded with another set of snores coming from Dudley's room. 

A series of strangled moans could be heard from behind Harry's door. Her hand froze at the doorknob and taking a deep breath, she turned the knob. The door opened without a sound. She went in and closed the door quietly behind her. She stood still in the dark bedroom. Hedwig watched silently, the owl turned her head to stare at the woman. Her eyes focused on the bed and dimly saw Harry trashing about his bed. 

"Sirius...where are you?" Harry choked back a sob and suddenly Petunia sympathized with this strange offspring of her sister. 

"Mom--Dad--did you find him? Where is Sirius? Nick--can't you find him?" Harry pleaded, then moaned, turning his face towards the window and she saw the tears that streaked his face. 

"It's my fault...all mine…" Harry's voice trailed off. "Should have listened to Snape--Sirius." Harry thrashed around some more and suddenly raised his hand, reaching out desperately for something. _"SIRIUS!"_ The young wizard jerked himself awake, panting a little and was surprised to find his aunt staring at him. She did not stop to think as she reacted instinctively. Harry had begun to shake and she sat beside his bed and enfolded him in her arms. 

*********** 

"Now _that_ is groundbreaking news," as Lupin stared out at the amplifier, watching the woman giving silent comfort to Harry Potter. Tonks pulled the sometimes-werewolf wizard from the instrument as she took her turn to study the form of Mrs. Dursley, watching the lean woman as she tucked Harry back to bed and went out of the room silently. 

"Why the sudden change of character?" Tonks demanded Lupin, as the occupants of the house opposite the Dursleys' looked helplessly at each other. 

"How would I know?" Lupin protested. 

__

CRACK! 

The occupants looked at the just Apparated Bill. He looked soberly at them. 

"Professor Dumbledore said that there is a high possibility that Sirius is still alive." 

Professor McGonagall gave a small gasp. 

"But he does not want us to tell Harry this." 

"I agree," Professor Lupin nodded vigorously. "No point putting false hope in the boy. This might be the last straw." At Bill's inquiring look, Lupin said, "The boy is this close to having his spirits broken." Lupin explained, demonstrating with his thumb and forefinger. 

"So Sirius _did_ fall through a Portal?" Professor McGonagall asked in a small voice. 

"Yes. It is going to be hard to search for Sirius. He could be anywhere. If he's trapped _in-between_, it'll be an extremely difficult hunt." 

***********

Harry woke up with a slight headache the next day. However, it is not because of the scar; he was aware that he had done a lot of excessive crying the last night. He was really worn out; he felt his spirits draining out of him. The only thing that had made his summer holidays tolerable for the past few years was largely because of Sirius. Now his godfather was gone. And it's because of his own stupidity that his godfather had died. He had realized that now. He had reacted recklessly for the past few months and almost got his friends killed. 

He got up from his bed and opened Hedwig's cage and the owl hopped from its perch to Harry's arm. Harry flung her out of the window as she soared up to spread her wings a little. _The members of the Order are still watching me. I wonder when they'll get tired of that._ Harry looked out at the sunny morning as the heat began to increase. Harry sighed and went out of his bedroom to get a bite of breakfast. 

***********

Harry stepped into the dining room and seated himself. He silently poured himself a glass of orange juice and munched down on bacons and eggs. Dudley was looking at Harry sullenly._ I bet he would really like to kick me instead of my bedroom door. Just that the knowledge of professional witches and wizards are making sure that nothing happens to me dampens the situation a little._ As though he could not stand being in the same room with the boy-wizard, Dudley stormed out and slammed the front door. Harry watched his Uncle Vernon in trepidation. 

However, his uncle kept on reading the newspaper, his mustache not even twitching. Without warning, his uncle thrust the newspaper to him, his face demanding Harry to take it. Harry took the newspaper cautiously and his eyes instantly fell onto a mini-subheading 'Strange sightings seen across Europe'. 

__

From places all over UK, people have reported of seeing cloaked figures, and these sightings were confined to the most rural areas. Speculations have been made that they were monks on pilgrimage but some have said that these figures do not symbolize peace. One spoke of them as the agents of chaos. These sightings are still under investigation. 

Harry looked up from the paper, feeling his insides tense. Uncle Vernon looked at him, his eyes flashing dangerously. Harry felt himself breaking out into cold sweat as suspicion crept in. _Dementors. I knew that they had revolted, but I did not expect that they would go as far as to create trouble among the Muggles._ He gulped several times and scanned the newspaper for more clues.

**********


	4. The Road to Recovery

****

~ Chapter 4: The Road to Recovery ~   


****

Two days after Healing Sirius Black

Fenix was reading _The Scotsman_ for the second time in her study room. She was alone in the house save for the still comatose man and the two wolves. Giselle had gone out with the elves to replenish the kitchen supplies, though Aldren was very reluctant to leave Fenix alone in the house. 

Earlier in the morning, Giselle had questioned her. _: Is there something going on between you and Aldren? :_

Fenix gave her a perplexed look. _: No. Why do you ask? :_

__

: Just that you two are acting very couple-like. : 

__

: Don't be ridiculous. He's a very good friend. There isn't any intimacy going on between us. : 

__

: If you say so. : 

Snapping out of her thoughts, she focused again to the newspaper cutout dated a few years back. _So the man upstairs is the one they called Sirius Black. A suspected well-known killer._ Fenix leaned back against the chair and placed the cutting back in the file, then turned her attention to the cuttings she had just obtained from the current newspaper. 

__

: So what are you going to do about it? : Silver's thought reached her. Fenix sighed. The wolves had intruded her thoughts so frequently since the day she healed Mr. Black unquestioningly. 

__

: Silv, please don't eavesdrop, : Fenix answered with a slightly pained expression. 

__

: If you don't want us to, you can always block us you know, : Wind suggested blandly. 

__

: You know well that I can't do that now. Anyway, the guy seems harmless for the moment. The fact that he's a wizard puts shadows on the news. Witches and wizards--like him--really keep very low profiles in the normal_ world. :_

__

: What do you think those creatures were doing? : 

__

: I really don't know. So far, there are no bizarre happenings but I guess it's just a matter of time before something happens. : 

__

: What did Aldren said those things were called? : Wind asked. 

__

: He said that Mineif calls them Dementors. They're the guards of Azkaban--whatever that means. : 

Silver hummed in her mind, as he nodded knowingly. :_ Ah, I get your meaning now. So this Mr. Black did attend Hogwarts. :_

Fenix winced in pain as she stretched her arms a little too hard. 

__

: Still feeling his_ discomfort, dear? : _Wind asked sympathetically. 

Fenix nodded and massaged her shoulder. _: I wish I knew more of the current wizard world. The only contact I had was with Lily; remember the woman who helped me along that magical bookstore? But then suddenly, she went silent-- :_ _And I am not sure if I should poke my nose to know what is happening to the wizard world. _Fenix jerked her head abruptly; her senses began to sharpen and the Hunter in her became alive. She silently kept the newspaper cuttings in the file and after checking that every entrance to the house was blocked using her magery, she cast another shield over the house. The wolves were strangely mute and she went down the stairs quietly to the second floor as training took over. 

***********

Sirius was awake. He looked about the strange room with wariness, looking for hidden dangers. He acted rather instinctively as he probed his left shoulder with his right hand._ All right, I'm whole again. Where am I? St. Mungos?_ Sirius was rather shocked to find that he was quite undressed under the covers. He was even more surprised when he saw the bandages and poultice covering various parts of his body. Movement from the corridor captured his attention. He carefully planted his feet on the floor and shivered. The floor was very cold and goose-flesh had begun to spread down his arms and legs. _My wand._ His wand was laid on the mantelpiece and he reached out for it. A shiver went down his spine. He swerved quickly as he pointed the wand at the intruder. 

__

"Stupe--" Sirius had begun but halted as the woman stared at him, her face beginning to redden. 

"I wouldn't do any spells yet," Fenix spoke rather firmly, fixing her eyes somewhere above his forehead._ Maybe I should have asked Aldren to get him a pair of underwear first._

Sirius began to scowl and had taken a step forward, not caring he was unclothed but the wolves stopped him from advancing for a moment. The great silver wolf bared his fangs at him threateningly. However, Sirius wasn't impressed and had took several steps forward. _And why should I be? Remus looked much more threatening than this male wolf when he's in his element._

__

: Stay out of this, : she warned the two wolves. 

Sirius had raised his wand again and to his profound amazement, his wand slipped out quickly from his hand, only to hang in mid-air next to the woman. She frowned for a moment and the wand began to move towards him. 

"I do not care to think of what could happen if you had uttered a command and began to flick it around before I removed the protection spell. You might burn down the house or something," she said. 

__

: FENIX!!!_ :_

The woman suddenly covered her ears, her face scrunching up with pain. Sirius was suddenly filled with amusement as she suddenly uttered a series of curses. Fenix took some effort in controlling her tongue and said curtly to the naked man. "Please excuse me for a moment," then she suddenly stopped and turned back. "The robe on the bed will have to do for now." 

Sirius looked at the wolves and at the black silk robe on the bed. The slimmer of the two wolves went out, leaving the silver wolf with him. Sirius strained his ears to hear the murmur of voices and the woman's voice rang out quite clearly for the whole house to hear. 

"WHY IN GOD'S NAME DID YOU _SHOUT_?" 

__

I didn't hear anyone shouting a few minutes ago. The silver wolf was looking at him, and Sirius could have sworn that the wolf was grinning at his perplexity. _Maybe I'm slipping._ Sirius carefully examined the robe and subdued the need to scratch the areas where the poultice and bandages were placed. _And maybe I need a bath. My shoulder hurts like hell._

***********

Fenix was fuming._ I really wish I could strangle him. Stupid elf._

__

: Fenix, I'm sorry, : Aldren pleaded. 

__

: It really hurts you know, : Fenix gave up and slowly started to smile. 

"The guy's awake. Have you three got anything for him yet?" Fenix said, as she peeked around the packages they had brought with them. 

"Here; weather's turning a bit cold. Therefore, I've bought a couple of sweaters, two pairs of pants and shirts. All black." Giselle told her as she handed her a large brown paper bag. The sisters had taken the opportunity to measure the size of the man while he was still in a Healing-induced sleep. 

"And these are his underwear," Derian added. 

Fenix took the bags upstairs, leaving the three to sort out their shopping materials in the kitchen. She was not surprised to see him still unclothed. He was searching the wardrobe for something. 

__

: Well? : She asked Silver, who was watching the man with amusement. 

__

: I think he is searching for a towel. : 

"It's in that black drawer over there," Fenix said, pointing her chin at the drawer beside the bed. 

Sirius gazed at her. "What is your name?" 

"Fenix Maxwell. And you're Mr. Black." 

Sirius raised an eyebrow at her. Nonetheless he did open the drawer and took out a towel. He managed to hide his uneasiness but was shocked that she knew his name. 

"These clothes are for you. I'm afraid the clothes you were wearing a few days back were nothing but tatters." 

Fenix left the man in the bathroom on his own and went down to the kitchen. 

Aldren hailed her as she stepped in and he hung a blue-gray scarf about a neck. She fingered it in appreciation. "Thank you," she said as she gave the elf a kiss on the cheek. She went about helping to store the canned foodstuffs in the cupboard. Quite suddenly, she gasped, her eyes stinging with sudden tears. She was clutching at her leg. _Dear God, I can't believe he had just tried to remove the stitch himself. Stupid, idiotic wizard._

"Fenix?" Giselle asked, her face showing her concern. 

"It's nothing. I'm going up to check on the guy." 

Fenix quickly dashed out from the kitchen, bounded up the stairs, and went to her bedroom. She burst into the bathroom without so much as a knock. The wizard looked up at her dazedly, quite aware that the door had disappeared without a sound. His calf was dripping with blood and she quickly filled a pail of water and winced as his wound stung as she used the water to wash the blood away. She called up the image of a pair of scissors and deftly cut the stitches. Each time she took a piece of the string out, he gave a muffled gasp. She on the other hand gritted her teeth as she Felt the pain coming from the man. 

Calming herself a little, she waited until her anger at the man subsided before she used her Healing Gift. _I have to thank Him that this man had only plucked out only the stitches on his leg._ It was a different story when she finished Healing the wizard. Her anger returned in the double and she stared at Sirius angrily, looking directly into his eyes. She felt a sudden jolt of recognition but ignored it as she let her anger simmer. 

"The next time, wait for an expert will you? I spent a great deal of effort to save your life and I don't want you to die because of pure stupidity," she hissed, tears of anger and pain streamed down her face. She abruptly stood up and left her room then stormed out of the house through the kitchen door. 

"Fenix!" Aldren called out after her, but she took no notice of him. Instead, she went into full Hunter mode. Wind loped beside her in silence as they patrolled the woods together. Fenix climbed a tree occasionally to view the surroundings while the wolf accompanying her carefully scouted on the ground. 

Fenix extended probes in every direction and reports came back to her that all was in order, and no Dementors were making any appearances. Aldren was waiting for her beneath the Mnid as the Sun began to set, ready to take over the shift. 

__

: Dinner's ready. : Aldren said. Fenix gave a tight nod and told Wind to go home first and she began to climb the Mnid, to sit on one of its broader branches carefully. Aldren made a tentative move to approach her but decided against it. He moved silently off. 

__

: Safe Hunting. : Fenix Mindvoice whispered, and Aldren knew that everything was all right. 

***********

Fenix returned home, her feelings all under control and she maintained a serene expression as she entered the kitchen. Giselle looked archly at her tight-fitting uniform. Spaghetti was on the menu that night and her stomach growled, reminding her that it had been a while since her last meal. She avoided the wizard's gaze and told her sister that she would take a bath first before eating her dinner. 

"Suit yourself; but you better be quick before Derian finishes all of it." 

Fenix gave a non-committal shrug and went up to her room. She replaced back her bathroom door and went in to shower. There was a definite chill in the air as it had begun to drizzle and a gentle zephyr entered her bedroom that she quickly went to her window to close it. Opening her wardrobe, she examined its contents for something that could keep her warm and got out a long skirt with a gray sweater. She quickly slipped on her underwear and her clothes. 

She called up a group of Salamanders that took several moments to play with her damp hair, playfully styling it. Fenix knew by now that it was useless to tell them to stop styling her hair so she let them get the upper hand. They had neatly dried her hair and pulled her hair and began plaiting the upper half into a braid, attaching several hair ornaments that goes well with the sweater. _I really look ridiculous. Who is going to look at my hair anyway?_

"You are very beautiful, mistress. Why haven't you find yourself a mate yet?" one of the Salamanders asked her. Fenix sighed softly. The companionship of the two wolves to the Elemental Master had influenced the Elementals that were very close to her to a high degree. 

"Could you heat up the house a little? It's getting a little cold," she requested, smiling a little at a very young Salamander that had playfully twirled itself with a lock of her hair. The group scattered to several places of the house, making themselves invisible as they coaxed the air to get warm. 

**********


	5. Reinforcements

****

~ Chapter 5: Reinforcements ~

Sirius ate his spaghetti without really paying attention to what he was eating. He knew that it was delicious but his concentration on dinner had wavered when Fenix had reentered the house. She wore something much like what the Aurors sometimes wear when they were on duty. He was beginning to feel a little guilty after Giselle explained what had happened to him when Fenix found him in the woods with great patience, including the after-effects of Healing. 

He was feeling a little confused. _Elves. Never gave much thought that they really exist, but I guess that shows how narrow our thinking was, since fairies and centaurs do exist. And where does she fit in? She's not a witch but she clearly possesses magic. It's different but it is still magic._ His mouth suddenly went dry when Fenix reentered the kitchen, looking very different. Rather distantly, a thought floated through his mind._ She's beautiful._ Giselle was finding it hard to keep a straight face as she took in the stupendous hair arrangement. 

"Ah--Fenix--what happened to your hair?" Giselle asked mildly. 

"I don't want to talk about it," Fenix grumbled as she helped herself to dinner. Derian was grinning widely at the embarrassed woman and Giselle looked toward him for an explanation. 

"It seems that the Salamanders really like her and her hair a lot. Most Fire Masters are males and they do not keep, strong and lustrous black hair." 

"Oh," Giselle gave a cheeky smile, "no wonder the temperature's risen up." She remarked, feeling a little pleased at herself. 

Fenix was silent during dinner. Sirius was not sure of what to do when Derian and Giselle went up to retire. He reckoned that the safest thing to do was to stay in the kitchen. Fenix stood and took his plate without glancing and him and began to wash the dishes. Soon enough, she began singing absently to herself. Sirius toyed with his glass of fruit punch as he studied Fenix. 

"Who's Harry?" Fenix asked suddenly, as she turned to face him, placing the last plate on the rack. She paused long enough to dry her hands before sitting back down. Sirius started to frown at her but she snorted disgustedly at him. "You mumbled his name in your sleep, along with several threats that I couldn't really make out," she said bluntly. 

Sirius hesitated._ Can she be trusted? I have to get to Harry as soon as possible. But I seriously don't really know how to make my way down to Harry from here. Can she help?_

__

: He doesn't know about the Dementors. Ask him and maybe he could give us clues as to why they're roaming around UK, : Silver said to her as he crossed the kitchen to sit at her side. 

"He's my godson." 

"Oh. Okay. What do you know about Dementors?" Fenix asked him, her eyes suddenly alert. 

Sirius started and looked suspiciously at her. "Why do you ask?" his tone was wary. 

"Just that about a few weeks ago, a couple of them passed through the wood's defense and--," Fenix halted as she called up the image of her file that she kept the newspaper clippings. Sirius stared at her in astonishment as a blue file suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She rummaged through the file and finally found the recent cutout. "They were seen in various areas these days," she told him as she handed the cutting. 

Sirius took it and began to read it. A few moments later he began to swear pungently. "Things are coming up to a head then," he muttered darkly. 

Fenix narrowed her eyes as a thought occurred to her, "Are the Dementors' appearance connected to your presence here?" 

Sirius shook his head. "I don't think they are much concerned with my reappearance. This is something to do with my godson. All of this is how I became his godfather. But I do not know why they are roaming around, to be sighted by Muggles." 

__

It could be possible that those working at the Ministry discovered Malfoy and his cohorts. And the Dementors have revolted now that the Dark Lord has made his appearance known. I hope the Ministry, especially Fudge, regrets in keeping those creatures for employment. Sirius thought darkly, his handsome face though edged with tiredness began to scowl. 

Fenix gave him a quizzical look. "What's Muggles?" 

"Non-magical folk." Then he began to tell her about the Dark Lord and the existence of Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived. 

Fenix bit off an exclamation as Sirius was mentioning about how Harry's mother died as she tried to protect the infant. Sirius looked curiously as she scrambled out of her seat and bounded up to the third floor, to her library. She quickly opened a drawer and took out a booklet. She Teleported herself back to the kitchen, brimming with excitement and opened the booklet for Sirius to see. 

Sirius stared at the photograph in surprise. Lily's eyes looked merrily at him, her arms around a very young and a shy Fenix lovingly. He spotted Remus in the corner and himself, standing beside the entrance of a bookstore, both looking very bored. _I don't really remember this moment. _Fenix told him of how Lily had helped her to reach for a book that she couldn't quite reach and she was too timid to ask someone for help. Sirius held the photo as he continued to tell her more about Harry's unwanted Fame and the bag of troubles that were caused by his existence. Then, she had asked Sirius the most important question that she had been dying to ask. 

"How did you get here?" 

"I don't really know. I was trapped in something like a second Dimension or something like that. The archway that I fell into was probably a Gateway. All I remembered doing before I hit the glade was that I thought hard of an image. Strangely, that image coincided with the environment that I ended up falling through." 

The Elemental Mage nodded her understanding, and she shuddered at the man's experience in being trapped inside a Gateway. "Next question then. How did you manage to get yourself trapped in the Gateway in the first place?" 

"I was dueling with a witch. She had hit me with a spell and I was too damn arrogant to block it at that particular moment." 

Fenix was rather surprised when she looked at the clock. _Midnight already? Aldren's shift will end soon. I know now why he felt familiar, he was with Lily and a couple of others too. I think I understand what the boy is feeling. No wonder he opened his mind to the Dark Lord. He's getting tired and the frustrations that are boring down on him may be unhealthy. And all the more important for him to know that his godfather is still alive._

__

: I agree, maybe you could help the boy to build up his mind defense. Sirius kept saying that the boy holds unusual powers that was caused the backlash of the wand. Since you are also an Empath, you could keep an eye on him. : 

__

: I know, but do you think it's safe? Now with the Dementors crawling about? : 

__

: Huh, since when has this kind of thing had started to bother you? : 

Sirius was looking curiously at her and the wolf. _It seems like she's communicating with the wolf somehow. Another version of being a Parselmouth?_ Fenix was looking at the wolf with a pensive expression on her face. He cleared his throat to gain her attention. Fenix looked at him, feeling slightly abashed. 

"Sorry about that. I think it has turned out to be quite important that you go to Harry; if only to boost his spirits up." 

A sudden chill penetrated the house and Sirius looked at her, fear starting to seep through his soul. _Dementors, here in the house._ Silver snapped at the air and was suddenly flung back across the kitchen and hit the cabinet. Two cloaked figures suddenly materialized at Sirius's side. He was paralyzed as hope was drained out of him and all he could feel was an intense cold. _I'm exhausted…Harry…_Images of a smiling Harry surrounded by Ron and Hermione slipped into his mind. And Remus…so filled with happiness that Sirius wasn't a traitor._ I'm not giving them up…Damn it! I wish I had brought my wand down!_

"Hello, I think you two have forgotten that the owner of the house is around," Fenix taunted several feet away, unaffected by their presence. 

The bigger of the two Dementors swerved his head; his cowl fell back, its hideous, skeletal features exposed. It began to make a sucking noise and Fenix grinned almost maniacally. 

"It is damn rude to enter a house without an invitation, don't you know lad?" Fenix said in a mocking voice. Suddenly the Dementor howled in pain as it was engulfed in intense blue flames. The fire cleansed the dead being and was reduced to nothing more than a pile of ashes and that too began to disintegrate. The other Dementor growled in disbelief and was about to Disapparate but Fenix was on it within a second. However, there were more of them, as she heard more growls--along with Derian's muted war cry and Giselle's terrified squeals--coming up from the second floor. 

"This is getting irritating," Fenix muttered under her breath as she suddenly appeared behind one of the Dementors, incinerating him with her mind within an instant. The Dementors converged on Giselle but could not really get any closer to her as the Salamanders showed their anger at full strength. The Sylphs, somehow aware of the current situation began to feed the Salamanders and the Dementors made a lovely bonfire in the middle of the bedroom. Derian was busily sticking his Elven sword and there were suddenly no Dementors. 

"I think you need to check up on the Wood's shieldings again," Giselle said in a quavering voice. 

"Did they harm you?" Fenix asked her sister with genuine concern. 

"No, the Salamanders had encircled me." 

__

: Good job. : Fenix applauded the Fire Elementals._ : Where's Wind? :_

__

: I'm downstairs dear. Would you check on Silver? I think he has broken something. : 

Fenix reappeared in the kitchen, the silver wolf still lying on the floor. Sirius and Wind were looking rather anxiously at the wolf and Sirius gave a sigh of relief when Fenix came to kneel beside him. 

"How come the Dementors do not affect you?" Sirius asked curiously. _This is really amazing. Never thought that there is a way to destroy the Dementors. I thought the most we could do is calling up a Patronus. I wonder if Professor Dumbledore will be glad when he hears this little tidbit. But hang on a moment--the Dementors don't really affect Remus all that much…_

"I have no idea," Fenix answered in a preoccupied manner. Sirius felt a tingling sensation and he understood when he suddenly heard a crack and Silver gave a whimper. 

__

: Just a dislocated shoulder-bone. He'll be all right. But no strenuous activities for him for several days, : Fenix informed Wind. 

There was a knock on the kitchen door and Sirius opened it. A very rumpled Aldren came into the kitchen with several other Elves, who looked almost in a similar condition to Aldren. An Elven mage approached Fenix to give her a kiss on the cheek as she hugged the handsome elf warmly. Sirius stood back as the group of elves shuffled into the kitchen. _Had there been Dementors out there? So, they must be immune to them too._

"Cadriel, I think I know how they managed to get through the Wood's defense and how to prevent future intrusions," Fenix told them and described the shield she had in mind. Sirius lost himself midway during the discussion but he felt that it was all right since the elves nodded in agreement with her plan. _Just as long as she knows what she's doing._

"Are we going to cast the spells now?" Aldren asked, and was answered by nods all around the kitchen. 

It had taken them all night to make the preparations, all of them squeezed in the living room. Fenix and Sirius had improvised a little with her overlaying spells of Truth, and Intent with Sirius merging a back-up immobilizing spell in case something dangerous _does_ manage to Apparate in. Fenix flopped down on the couch as the rest of the elves-- except for Aldren and Derian-- began to disappear to their Grove. Sirius went down to sit beside her in a more dignified manner, but he was no less tired than she was. 

Giselle gave the two of them mugs of hot chocolate that she had prepared while the group was busily spellcasting. Fenix took the proffered mug with gratitude as she gulped the beverage down. Wind jumped up and began to curl herself; her head on Fenix's lap as Silver began to drowse on her feet. The feelings of security and fatigue began to seep into her system and she soon dozed off, leaning against Sirius. 

__

: Do you think something will brew up between them? : Giselle asked Aldren. The elf did not bother to go up the staircase to a real bed as he laid himself down on the floor. 

__

: No chance. He's the wrong kind of guy. : 

__

: Oh? Why is that? : His brother asked, giving a sidelong glance at Aldren. 

__

: One, this guy is a bit on the arrogant side. Much too arrogant for her. He doesn't show it now, but it is there all the same. Two, the nondescript-looking type always seem special to her eyes somehow. You should know that better than we do. She likes quiet guys, with a certain amount of mischief in them. She always seems to fall in love with the kind of guys people wouldn't dream of partnering, : he replied. He sounded a bit sullen as he watched a drowsing Sirius, his arm curling reflexively on Fenix's shoulders. 

__

: I see. : Giselle replied complacently. 

**********


	6. An Unexpected Visit

****

~ Chapter 6: An Unexpected Visit ~   


****

Tuesday, 4th July. At the Dursleys'...

Harry was helping out voluntarily in the kitchen, something he had rarely done when he was with the Dursleys', peeling some potatoes for Aunt Petunia. He had just got himself a haircut, as a last resort to make himself look neater, and bought himself a jar of hair wax. He had also shopped for some new clothes to cope with his increasing height and his broadening shoulders. Professor Lupin had given him a certain amount of Muggle money and Harry felt it was wise not to think about where the Professor had gotten the money. He just hoped Professor Lupin had gotten them legally._ I certainly do not wish to be apprehended because of some false notes._

His uncle was out; shopping for some foodstuffs while Dudley was off to the boxing club. That left Harry alone in the house with his aunt and gave him an ample space to turn his thoughts inward, wondering what his best friends--Hermione and Ron--were up to. _I wonder if I should visit the twins when I head down to Diagon Alley. I wonder how they're doing with the joke shop._

He somehow felt better these days, but the emptiness still hurt when he thought about his godfather every night before he drifted off to sleep. _I do care…Professor Dumbledore was right…and I'm never ever going to give up on this whole business. I'm never going to give up hoping that Sirius is still alive…somehow…_Harry did not understand his feelings all that well. Sirius somehow had became a major factor in the short time he spent with his godfather. _Is this because he's my only link to my parents?_

"Harry, please watch the way you're peeling the potatoes," his aunt called out, not looking at him. He gazed down at his aunt's warning and found that he had came very close to cutting himself and stopped any more daydreaming. The doorbell rang. 

"I'll get it," Harry called out to his Aunt, as he wiped his hands on a clean kitchen-towel. He made his way briskly to the door and felt himself gaping as his vision was filled with the glowing faces of Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and her parents. 

"Hello, Harry!" Hermione and Ron greeted him as one, and he watched with detached amusement when Ron's face unexpectedly turned red when Hermione gave him a condescending look, though her eyes were twinkling mischievously. She turned back to Harry and gave him a toothy grin. 

"Harry, who is--" Aunt Petunia's voice trailed off as she stared at the company. An unbearable silence began to fill in and Harry twitched uncomfortably. Aunt Petunia was at odds with herself. _Should I or should I not? The adults looked normal to me but I know the children are anything but normal._ Taking a deep breath, she invited the Grangers and the lone Weasley to the house. 

"I've got ice-cream for you, Harry," Mrs. Granger told Harry, as she handed him a tub of mocha-flavored ice cream. 

"Thank you," Harry replied, feeling slightly embarrassed._ That's really odd, why are they giving me the sweet stuff? I thought they were dentists…_ His aunt returned to the living room, carrying a tray of chilled apple juice. 

"I'll finish the potatoes; be a good host," she then said to Harry. Ron blinked his eyes at the back of Aunt Petunia. 

"How are you doing?" Hermione asked, picking up two glasses of the fruit-juice before taking up one for herself. 

"I'm fine." 

"I mean--how are you holding up?" Hermione questioned, and rolled her eyes in aggravation when Ron started to make hushing noises. 

"Not even married but they sure know how to quibble," Mr. Granger remarked to his wife, a bit bemused by the youngsters' never-ending need to entangle themselves in an argument. 

"Dad!" Hermione protested feebly, her cheeks reddening. 

"The truth is I still hurt," Harry admitted, head bowed. 

Hermione gazed at Harry, sadness slowly creeping into her soul. The guests seeped at their drinks in silence, and that gave Harry some time to think about what Mr. Granger had said in passing to his wife. The way Hermione kept giving covert glances at Ron seemed to prove that his suspicions were at least on the right track. Without meaning to, Harry felt his lips twitched and gave a half smile at his friends. Hermione froze as Harry caught her in the act and began to blush; her face turning as red as Ron's scarlet hair. And to his surprise, Ron began to swear. "Bloody hell."

"Now, now, Ron. That's no way for a Prefect to behave. What will your mother think of us?" Mr. Granger said slyly. 

"Oh, be nice," Mrs. Granger pinched her husband lightly. 

Harry was distracted by something else other than the idea that Ron and Hermione were 'dating' when Ron handed him a pile of _Daily Prophets_. 

"I've highlighted the important ones in red--shouldn't miss them," said Hermione. Harry spent some time reading them, flipping page after page. 

"So, Lucius Malfoy and the other Death Eaters managed to escape from prison," he stated in a conversational tone, not looking up from the paper. 

"Yeah, with the help of Dementors," Ron answered. 

"I think I'm beginning to understand Hermione's complaints at being left out," Mrs. Granger observed, "I can't make out head or tail of what the kids are discussing about." 

"Oh, mom," Hermione spoke lovingly to her mother, "you're exaggerating. At least you know more about Hogwarts, Dementors, the Dark Lord, revolts, even magic than I do know about dentistry." and she squeezed her mother rather affectionately while Mr. Granger glowed. 

"And they had also staged a raid at the Malfoys'…I wished they had captured Draco's face when they did it," Harry spoke to them. His tone sounded a bit disappointed. 

Hermione looked at her friend curiously. Just last year, Harry had shown a certain amount of being quick-tempered. Now, all he showed was a calm that Hermione found it assuring but at the same time intimidated by it. She carefully gave him the once-over. Harry had considerably grown since she had last saw him. He was still lean and thin but was already developing some muscles, and he had grown considerably taller though he was still shorter than Ron was. _Maybe it's due to stress…_ Hermione thought back about a few days ago when they were at Ron's home, The Burrow, but without her parents along. 

Ron had told her a secret. Bill had whispered to Ron that there was a ninety-percent chance that Sirius could still be alive. And the eldest of the Weasley brothers had threatened Ron on some unspeakable thing if he were to tell Harry. Ron kept his word but since his brother did not mention that he should not tell Hermione of it, he had filled her in. She was so pleased with him when Ron told her that she had given him a full bear hug and a quick kiss on the lips. However, they did not disengage themselves quickly enough for the twins caught them. They hinted her parents of their kiss when they escorted Hermione and Ron so the group could go down and visit Harry in Privet Drive. Her parents seemed to be good-natured about the whole business, much to the disappointment of the Weasley twins. 

__

I really hope Sirius is still alive. Harry misses him that badly. She gazed thoughtfully at Harry, when she suddenly shivered. There was a kind of fierceness in Harry's green eyes when he looked up at her. 

"Have you read any Muggle newspaper?" 

"I haven't," Ron shook his head in perplexity. 

"Well, I did--," Hermione answered, "and I've read about those mysterious cloaked figures." 

"And we have seen them," Mr. Granger added, his voice rimmed with steel. "Hermione had described them in a pretty good detail that it was impossible for us to mistake those things for something else." 

"And what's more Harry, my parents killed four Dementors that day," their daughter triumphed. 

Harry looked at the Grangers with a feeling that far surpassed shock. Ron too, was immensely astonished. Harry felt totally flabbergasted. He tried to speak out but his voice stuck in his throat. After several minutes, he managed to croak out, his eyes still wide with astonishment. _Dementors can be killed? I think this is the first good news that I had heard ever since Sirius d…_ "H-how?" 

"It turns out that both my parents have some abilities of their own. But the authorities did not recognize the talents they had so that's why they did not receive a letter from any of the wizarding Schools." 

"Both of us are Elemental Mages, Harry," Mrs. Granger informed the nonplussed teenage boy. 

"Elementals?" Harry repeated in bewilderment. 

"My mom's an Air Elemental Mage and dad's a Fire Elemental Mage," Hermione said. 

"We had figured how they managed to--say--petrify you. They start first with your mind--" 

"But since I hadn't shielded my mind so tightly, they managed to get through my defenses--" 

"It seems that they didn't turn out to be so invincible when they were engulfed in Fire, and they were transformed into small atomic molecules when my wife placed several Sylphs inside one of them," Mr. Granger was saying. 

"And there is another way to kill them--instead of using the Elementals--I'm not sure if any of you wizards and witches are equipped to destroy them that way--" 

"-- For as a matter-of-fact, we can't either. Only one person I know in UK can do that." 

"And who is this person?" Harry asked out of curiosity. 

"A very young Elemental Mage, a lady, I think she's still in her mid-twenties," Mr. Granger dithered, "but already a Master--" 

"Of both Fire and Air," Mrs. Granger interrupted rather excitedly. "Add that to her skills as Hunter, Healer and Empath." Harry looked at Ron for help, but his friend gave him a look that signify that he don't really know what those terms really meant._ The Healer part I can understand, but what does she mean by Hunter and Empath?_

"This one, dear Lord, if you could meet her Harry, she's a brilliant woman. She works as an environmentalist, here in the Muggle world. Strange occupation for one whose strong abilities lies with Fire, usually the line is much more suited to Earth Mages. If you could just meet her, you will no doubt be able to learn something from her," Mr. Granger continued his voice filled with awe. 

"You said that she killed the Dementors without having to use the aid of the--ah--Elementals," Harry said, piqued with curiosity. "How did she do it?" 

"We are not quite sure, but we believe she used her mind to do it," Mr. Granger replied. 

"Well, the reason we came here," Ron began, taking the news that the Grangers' were not so normal as they looked, calmly, "is that we wonder if you would like to hang around The Burrow before we go down to Diagon Alley to get our books." 

"Ron's mother; in fact all of us, wants to celebrate your birthday there Harry," Hermione said, and gave him a pleading look. 

Ever since Harry had come to know the Weasleys', Molly Weasley had done everything she could to make sure that Harry considers himself as part of the Weasley family._ And does she think I'll say no?_ Harry slowly began to smile. "I would really like that," he answered. Hermione shot a _'I told you so'_ look at Ron. The Weasley sighed in defeat. 

"So, when would you like us to pick you up? Anyway, we won't be going without any escort," Ron pointed his thumb at the window. "Unless, Dad can fix up the Network again." 

__

So he knew that some of them were in residence here in Little Whinging. "When's the full moon?" 

Hermione's face lit up and answered readily, "About twelve days from today." 

"I don't think the journey by broomsticks will take that long. Anyway, mom's equipped to handle the peculiarities of Professor Lupin when the full moon arrives," Ron reassured him. 

Harry took a moment to think. It wouldn't really take long for him to pack. "Why don't you pick me up of Thursday?" 

"No problem-o, till Thursday then," Ron clapped Harry on his back. 

**********


	7. To the Weasleys'

****

~ Chapter 7: To the Weasleys'   


****

Thursday, 6th of July. Time to move out….

It was a cool night. Harry had finished his dinner about half-an-hour ago. By general agreement--of the members of the order-- they would move out at night, preferably sometime towards midnight. _If they hadn't change the plan of flying to The Burrow._ Harry had told both his caretakers. Uncle Vernon could not care less; he'd be much happier if Harry would not be around in the house for his Aunt Marge would be coming in to visit again during the weekend. 

Discreetly, Harry and the Grangers-- who were taking up residence across the Dursleys' for the time being-- had shipped most of Harry's possessions during the cover of the night. There was nothing else left in his bedroom save for his Firebolt, and a few changes of clothes and his wand, naturally. Hedwig was experiencing freedom over in the other house and relished in making frequent hunts at night. Harry did not blame her. _If I were an owl, I'd probably do it too, provided I don't turn feral…or something…_

Harry was in a considerably light mood. The prospect of spending the rest of the summer with the Weasleys' had cheered him at least that much. _Provided things don't get any much worse, we could all practice some Quidditch. _If_ I can get Ron away from Hermione…I wonder…when did they started to go out…_

Harry paused a moment to stare at his wand absently. He took several minutes to search deep within his heart. _Thank goodness…thank goodness this revelation didn't make me jealous…_Harry gave a huge sigh of relief. 

__

Knock knock… 

__

That's funny; the Dursleys' never knocked on my bedroom door before… 

A familiar tired-looking face poked his head inside. Professor Lupin looked much more exhausted than ever and Harry found himself getting alarmed by the seconds. The once Defence against the Dark Arts teacher shook his head admonishingly. 

"Now don't you dare ask me if I'm all right…_seriously_," his voice sounding a little surly, "you, Ron, Hermione and _especially_ her parents, always seem to want to ask me that every time I show up." The middle-aged wizard almost sulked, and just for a moment, he looked very young, incredulously boyish, but as serious as he usually was. 

"Well if you a--" 

"I'm ready," Harry said, slinging his bag over his shoulders, his hand grabbing his Firebolt. His wand was already tucked safely in his pocket. 

"We'll be going by Floo powder by the way," Professor Lupin said, looking over his shoulder as he proceeded down the stairs. Harry took one brief moment to stare his cousin down and nodded towards the Dursleys. Only his aunt paused at the front door to watch Harry leave, to enter the house opposite theirs. 

"Harry!" Ron gave his best friend an one-armed hug. "The rest are already at home, and the twins are there too!" 

"There's just one thing I would really like to know," Harry said, "is Percy back home?" 

"Nope; I bet he's too damn proud to admit that he's been a nitwit." 

"Can't you kids hurry up?" Professor Lupin grumbled. 

"We are, we are, don't get grouchy," Ron answered. "Well, here I go," Ron muttered as he took a fistful of Floo Powder. "The Burrow!" 

"Here you go, Harry," Professor Lupin handed him the bowl and Harry took a handful of the Powder. "Tell Mrs. Weasley I'll be about an hour late, I've got to keep watch on this house until Fletcher comes in from his errands--whatever they were." 

"All right," Harry nodded. "The Burrow!" Harry felt the familiar spinning feeling and the roar in his ears. In just a moment, he slid over the floor of the Weasleys'. 

"Welcome home, Harry!" the twins gave him a bear hug after they pulled him up to his feet, as Hermione and Ron took over his Firebolt and his rucksack. 

"You'll get to share room with us, Harry," Fred whispered. 

"Now, we've got Percy's room, had to make way for Hermione's parents," George nodded towards Mr. And Mrs. Granger, who were looking at the family clock with amazement. 

"Dad's still working out late, and he'll be so-ooo pleased when he finds out that _they'll_ be staying with us the whole summer," Ginny said. She gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek as a greeting, dusting Harry's smudged face with a damp face towel. 

"Hey, Harry!" Fred called out, his right hand holding a small package. "Care to try this?" 

"What is it?" Harry asked rather cautiously. 

"It is called Lemon-wakees," Ginny answered, giving him a wide grin. "It's great!" 

"This is our latest product! Something that would really come in handy if you're ever studying in Professor Binns's class." 

"A wake-up call gummy?" Harry asked rather archly, his hand already reaching inside the small package. 

"Something like that," Fred shrugged indifferently. 

"Ah--any side effects I should know about?" Harry asked as he picked one of the yellow-colored gummy, then suddenly froze. 

George shook his head. "None--but be sure you don't take them at night unless you're planning to do some last-minute studying or something like what the Ms. Granger standing behind me likes to do." 

"It keeps you up, Harry. It acts something like coffee," Hermione answered as she made her way back to the group, making a face George. 

"Go on, Harry," Fred urged desperately. "Don't tell me you don't want to stay up and chit-chat before you settle down?" 

Harry quickly popped the sticky sweet in his mouth and he knew why they were named Lemon-wakees. His face immediately puckered up and he shuddered at the concentrated taste of very sour lemons. Ginny cackled in the background and Hermione's self control evaporated at that point when she watched Harry's reactions and broke into helpless laughter. 

"Dear Merlin!" Harry gasped, blinking his watery eyes, and shuddered again as a second wave of acidity attacked his taste buds. 

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley gave the still-shuddering boy a hug. "My, aren't you getting tall? And what did you do to your hair?" 

"Oh, leave him, Mom," Bill interrupted. The eldest Weasley brother gave him a quick hug, then remarked, "Nice hairstyle, Harry." 

Harry could not speak; it took about fifteen minutes for the sour taste of the gummy to fade. 

"By the way Mrs. Weasley," Harry started, his voice sounding a bit scratchy; "Professor Lupin will be late. He has to wait until Mr. Fletcher gets back." 

"That man--" 

__

Whoosh… 

Professor Lupin coughed for a bit. "Now, now, Molly, I'm here now." 

"Remus," Mrs. Weasley shook her head at him, and with Bill's help, they pulled him up to his feet. Mrs. Weasley's face indicated that she was worried about the appearance of the werewolf-wizard but remained mum. 

Mrs. Granger squealed with delight when one of the many hands of the clock- this one with a picture of Mr. Weasley- moved and pointed to 'Home'. 

"Hello everyone!" a lively voice called from the outside. 

"Hello, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley greeted her husband fondly. 

"Hello, Harry! Welcome ba--" Mr. Weasley stopped abruptly when Mrs. Granger waved cheerfully at him. 

"Dear God! Hermione, you didn't tell me that your parents will be coming too!" the balding-man quickly stepped forward to shake the Grangers' hands. 

"It's sort of a surprise for you, Mr. Weasley," Hermione said mischievously. Harry blinked at the studious, self-righteous Hermione. 

"Positive influence by the twins and the sister that's likely to follow their footsteps if they aren't careful about it," Bill whispered roguishly. 

"I agree, bro. Our little sister might just outstrip them if they aren't watching carefully," Ron nodded vigorously. 

"What's this about?" Harry whispered back. 

"Ginny's the one whom invented the Lemon-wakees, but she lets the twins get the credit. No use having mom worrying about the only female offspring in the family," Ron answered Harry, after making sure that his mother was not around to hear it. 

"All right everyone!" Mrs. Weasley called. "Time for supper!" 

**********

"The kids have a right to know too," Mr. Granger was saying to his wife who just shrugged. 

"A right to know what?" Mr. Weasley asked curiously as they all seated themselves comfortably in the living room. Professor Lupin was sitting near to the window. Harry gave him a curious look. _He's looking sort of detached as if he's mind is somewhere else. He's looking very worried too…_ The young wizard frowned. _What's Professor Lupin worrying about?_ Harry turned his attention to the present. 

Mr. Granger looked at Hermione pleadingly and she gave a small sigh. "My parents have been keeping a secret from you that they think you have a right to know about. I've just got to know about it this summer, and Ron and Harry got to know it a few days ago." 

Professor Lupin became instantly alert. _I have the feeling that the girl is going to say something very important._

"I've just found out that my parents-- in their own right-- holds some magical talents," Hermione said proudly. 

Except for Harry and Ron, with the Grangers, the rest looked as if she had suddenly spoke to them in an alien language. Mr. Granger gave them a very mysterious smile and the Weasleys' found that they did not have to chew on Lemon-wakees to keep them awake that night. The Grangers began telling them of an elite group working in the Muggle world. 

"Unbelievable," Mr. Weasley breathed as he gazed at the Grangers with awe. 

Professor Lupin was not looking at the Grangers with awe; instead, he was looking at them reverently and relief. That however, abruptly changed when Mr. Granger gave a startled yelp and jumped in his seat. 

__

"That is too much!" he suddenly exploded, and began to swear creatively, much to Hermione's horror. 

They all looked at Mr. Granger who was staring at something before him, his face growing angrier by the seconds. 

"Lover, what is the matter?" Mrs. Granger asked her husband but he was not paying attention to his wife, so engrossed in whatever he was swearing at. Mrs. Granger gave up and called her Sylph by the name of Arenii. A sudden wind penetrated the house, and the Weasleys', including Harry jumped up and took out their wands and held them warily. Professor Lupin looked about the surroundings. The breeze died, and only Hermione was still sitting down, calmly looking at her parents. To her surprise, her mom joined in the swearing. S_eriously…are they adults or what? It's too bad I can't hear what Arenii's saying…_

"_Outrageous--bloody hell--those things…How I wish I was there with the elves!_" Mrs. Granger screamed as her face turned white with anger. 

"Children! Dear Lord! I don't bloody believe it! Imagine that…Lord, _children_!" her husband raved. 

Mrs. Weasley was getting alarmed. "Please, could you tell us what's wrong?" 

Hermione was deciding if she should use a spell to calm her parents down when her father shot her a look. 

"I _don't_ recommend you to do that daughter," Mr. Granger spoke firmly. Hermione sighed. 

"Then could you please calm down and tell us what's going on? I can't see the Salamander but I can see Arenii," Hermione calmly told her parents. 

"Who's Arenii?" The Weasleys asked and at the same time, Hermione's parents blurted out. 

"You could see her?" 

"Yes, I've seen her around since I was a child," Hermione shrugged indifferently. Mrs. Granger stood up and was not surprised to see a little Sylph hanging about Hermione's hair. 

"We should have expected it… I guess," Mrs. Granger suddenly smiled at her husband, but the look that he gave his wife was sulky. 

"Why not a Salamander?" 

"Who is Arenii?" Ginny repeated and was answered by Mrs. Granger. 

"She is my Sylph, an Air Elemental. Our respective helpers--or you could call them spies, which is one of their responsibilities-- had just brought us grave news." 

"And isn't _Fenix_ angry about it? It happened in a neighboring jurisdiction after all," Mr. Granger remarked, as he cocked his head to one side, almost as if he was talking to an imaginary friend. 

"_Angry?_ That is an understatement; She practically came down and gave them a showdown. And the elves weren't really prepared to see a Fire Master really, really furious." They were all so surprised when they heard a deep voice that seemed to be coming out at the spot where Mr. Granger was staring intently. 

"If you would care to look at the window for a moment," a soft musical voice piped out, "you would see that she is still _extremely_ pissed off." They all looked out. 

"Bloody hell!" Ron muttered as they all watched the whole sky lightened up in an eerie blue glow. Then they heard several explosions and the sky burst with blue flames. 

"These Dementors ought to have been more careful in choosing their prey," Mr. Granger said menacingly as his eyes took in the fireworks. 

"Dementors? And who were their prey?" Professor Lupin asked quietly, as he felt the vibrations of the thunder-like detonations in his body and he closed his eyes, almost as if he was trying to savor the feeling. 

"Children, Professor Lupin. _Children_," Mrs. Granger replied in a disgusted voice. 

"I think the Dark Lord has made a very stupid move involving the Dementors in the Muggle World. If _he's_ the one in charge of deploying them…" Harry observed. 

"I think you are quite right, and I understand why the elves are also involved," Professor Lupin agreed. "They are very protective creatures, destroy their Groves, they'll hunt you for decades. Try to harm children, be it their own kind or mortals-- except for Evil-- they will wage war with you. And they will not rest until those responsible are presented to the Wheel," the Professor said as the Elemental Mages nodded their agreements. He opened his eyes and suddenly Mrs. Granger gasped. 

Against the background of the night-sky, was a soaring Phoenix, engulfed in blue fire of various shades._ I thought the flames should be red,_ a detached part of Professor Lupin's mind thought. It spread its wings wide, head thrown proudly back and screamed its anger. 

"Do you think the Dark Lord will be aware of this?" Mr. Granger asked mildly, directing his question at the head of the Weasley family. 

"I don't think he has any choice," Mr. Weasley replied shakily, still staring out at the sky. 

Harry forced himself to look away from the window. "Were any of the children hurt?" 

Mr. Granger shook his head. They heard the deep voice belonging to the Salamander again. 

"Fenix would kill herself a thousand times if that happens. Right now, she is extremely glad that she had pressed the Fair Ones and the Elementals to keep constant watch. Somehow, she has developed a technique that will prevent future Apparations of these Dementors. It seems that her neighbors did not take her suggestions seriously." 

"Mr. Granger," Ron asked timidly, "is the Phoenix the Fire Master you had been telling Hermione, Harry and me few days back?" 

"Yes, she is," Mrs. Granger replied quizzically. 

__

"A woman?" Ron spluttered suddenly but blushed when four women and at least one Sylph in the house gave him a hard, unfriendly look. C_ount yourself lucky Ron, you can't see the way the Sylph is looking at you in this instant,_ Hermione's eyes flashed in anger. 

"Have a problem with that?" Ginny asked dangerously. Ron hastily gulped and shook his head, not looking at any of the women. 

**********

It was about two hours from dawn. Professor Lupin was not asleep, as he opted to sit by the fireplace. Hermione's fluffy and big cat accompanied him as he brooded. Crookshanks purred its contentment as he scratched its chin absently. 

__

Fenix…I've heard that name somewhere…It must have been a long time ago because every time I repeat the name in my head, I always see Sirius and Lily… 

There was a crackle in the space right in front of him and the Headmaster's face peered up at him. 

"Good morning, Remus. You are not looking well," Professor Albus Dumbledore greeted him bluntly. 

"Uh…thank you... I think," Professor Lupin replied tiredly. 

"I assume you were all aware of the…fireworks?" the Headmaster began carefully. 

"We watched it in time." 

"Oh?" Professor Dumbledore gave him an inquisitive look. 

"It seems that there are a lot of people out there who have strange abilities." 

"Explain." 

"Hermione's parents are examples," and he re-explained what the Grangers had told them. 

"Remarkable piece of information. However, I would really like to meet this astounding lady. She has managed to get me curious and Fawkes seemed terribly excited when he viewed the…mock-display." Professor Dumbledore mused. 

"Headmaster," Professor Lupin's voice suddenly cracked, "is there any news about Sirius?" 

The Headmaster sighed regretfully. "I'm afraid not Remus. Back to work, I guess. I'll call in time and time again." 

"Have a good day, Dumbledore." 

"Still no news about Sirius?" Hermione asked, her voice quavering. He jerked his head to see the young woman staring at him; her eyes luminous with unshed tears. 

"You knew?" 

"Yes," she halted and ventured several steps forward and sat herself down. "Professor Lupin?" Hermione gulped but continued, "are you developing some kind of resistance to Professor Snape's potions?" 

The older man sighed, "I think so, Hermione. Sometimes, I think you are too bright for your age. And why aren't you asleep?" 

"I don't really know. I haven't really been sleeping well ever since summer started." 

The two sat down in silence as Crookshanks devoted itself to the two people. 

"Don't give up hoping Hermione," Professor Lupin said softly. 

"Not going to stop until there are some real evidence he is really gone," Ron said quietly, sitting himself beside Hermione. "What's _your_ reason for hoping he'll be back?" 

Hermione gave a shocked look at Ron. However, her partner seemed determined to get an answer from him. 

"I would not deny that I want to spend some time with Harry," Professor Lupin admitted. Ron gave a triumphant look at Hermione. "But I'm hoping because Sirius is my closest friend. I don't really know how to say this but they treated me like a brother…" Professor Lupin paused. "Sirius…Harry's father and him were my personal clowns. They never failed to amuse me when the full moon draws nearer and nearer. I was afraid of my transformation and I'm still afraid. Sirius was there to guard me when I changed. Now that the Professor Snape's potions are becoming useless, it's getting harder for me to control myself. After losing James to _him_, and then Sirius…to the prison…and getting him back again…was the happiest moments of my life Ron. And then to lose Sirius again?" Professor Lupin looked directly at Ron, and the boy flushed. 

"Sorry, Prof-- I misunderstood you." 

Professor Lupin chuckled sadly under his breath, "Don't worry; I'm used to that." Professor Lupin sighed, his eyes stared out blankly. Hermione was right on the verge of tears when she saw the haunted look in the man's eyes. She stared furiously at Ron, who squirmed uneasily in his seat when Hermione gave him a look signifying, _'Insensitive lout'_. He answered back with one of his typical expressions, _'How was I supposed to know?'_

The three looked up in relief when Mrs. Weasley came into sight. 

"I see you three haven't been sleeping," she called. "No worries, I'll give you something to work on until you're simply to exhausted to do anything else but sleep," and she set off to make some breakfast. 

"There goes Quidditch practise." Ron sighed with disappointment. 

"Ummm…Ron… does the work part include me too?" Professor Lupin asked. 

"I think so." 

"What have I gotten myself into?" He muttered under his breath. 

**********


	8. The Oathbinding

****

~ Chapter 8: The Oathbinding ~   


****

After the emergence of the Phoenix…

Fenix reappeared at the woods of her own house and was surprised to see Sirius leaning against the Mnid comfortably. 

"And I thought I was the arrogant one," Sirius remarked mildly. He was surprisingly calm even after he saw how she had landed as the Phoenix and returned to her human form. 

Fenix grunted. "I think I might be just a trifle childish back there, but still--" 

"I know, I know," Sirius sighed. "If you don't mind me telling you this, I think you acted a bit too recklessly." _I hope that Voldemort is far too busy swearing and exclaiming that he had not thought of tracing her trail back here._

Fenix blushed; feeling slightly embarrassed. "Trust me, I know. But I can't help being a warmonger. I'm associated with Fire Elementals after all. A hothead. It was still a good display wasn't it?" 

"If I had a twin, I wouldn't mind if it is you, our hair's the right color anyway," Sirius said, giving her a sly look. 

"I knew you would appreciate the ostentatious display," Fenix grinned widely. 

__

: Oh no, I think we blundered somewhere, : Wind whined to her mate, loping ahead of the two humans. 

**********

****

Monday, 10th July. Time to take the stitches off… 

Fenix was dreading the noon hour. This was because her sister, as a professional nurse, she had reassured her sister that it was about time for Sirius's stitches to be removed. Fortunately, and for the sake of his own health, Sirius did not laugh when Fenix shot a pleading look at her older sister. 

"Can I just go on patrol on something? I mean…Aldren is here…he can help you…" Fenix suggested timidly, her voice sounding a little squeaky. 

"Damnation…Aldren wouldn't know how to heal. That's your job; don't you dare run away from it," Giselle said tenaciously. 

"Let's make a deal. I don't want to see you taking the stitches. Call me when you're done and I'll Heal him," Fenix bargained. 

"All right with me," Giselle shrugged as she prepared the utensils for the task. 

Sirius had to smile when Fenix shivered. "Why are you reacting this way?" 

"I have a phobia on stitches. Be it me, humans or animals," Fenix said curtly, not looking at the wizard. 

"Funny how you could kill those Dementors without second thoughts. Don't your instincts as a Healer and Empath goes against that?" Sirius asked the woman. The days that he had spent constantly with the Fire Master had created a bond between them, and he found himself gradually warming to her. Fenix on the other hand, seemed to be much more comfortable around him these few days and made their conversations more natural flowing, even if the topic's absurd. 

She made her way to the couch and sat down, tucking her knees under her chin. She looked intently at Sirius. "It does actually. The idea of killing something seemed horrendous to me at first. But it turned out to be a necessity when I came into being. One consolation I have is that the Dementors do not have souls and they're already dead. I just changed their state of Undead into a much more definite state. _Real death._ They don't seem to appreciate it when I fine-tuned them," she paused, smiling at herself. 

"Killing humans intentionally is another matter though," Fenix said, as she leaned against Sirius, placing her head on his shoulder. "I usually give them two choices; redemption or a challenge. That's if it's a one-to-one situation. In battles however, I usually strike to maim, not kill. There are exceptions however. There was a rouge Water Master here in Scotland about three years ago. Usually I can get along well with the other Masters and Mages, but this one was really set on doing something so sick to the children that I can't bear to just stand around and watch her do it. Much like a wizard duel really." 

Fenix lifted her head to look at Sirius sadly. "I don't like it when I have to challenge a Master. However, I was the only one capable of doing it. It might have been better if I was a Water Master." 

"What happened to-- uh--her?" Sirius asked gently. 

"I took away her Gifts. It's probably much better if I had just taken a knife and slit her throat," Fenix replied, her eyes growing distant. "She went mad, then finally she burned herself by lighting up the gas stove. I am not proud of having to do things like that." 

"Someone had to do it," Sirius said, taking her hand and gently squeezing it. 

"War between Elemental Masters are seldom; even rare. The Last Mage War occurred about sixty-seven years ago, I think. It was between Earth and Fire and the aftermath was a disaster. Therefore, we set up a Mage Council, and the Earth and Air Masters make up its majority. They are much calmer by nature compared to Fire and Water. Those having something to contend will approach us and we are the ones who decide who should be punished. Several of us are active Empaths and rarely, the Hunter; who is able to see through one's soul. Makes life easier for us; than having to soothe our Elementals." 

"But what if the contenders don't come to you?" Sirius asked with interest. 

"We come for them," Fenix replied easily. "If the victims had suffered irreparable damage; well as the saying goes, _'what goes around, comes around'._" 

"Everything's ready!" Giselle called out. 

"Sirius, will you do me a favor when Giselle's doing her stuff?" 

"If I can…" 

"Please don't scream," Fenix pleaded. 

Sirius stood up and gave her a gentle smile. "You're a very strange woman. Very strange indeed." 

Fenix stared at his back, her expression perplexed._ What was he hinting at?_

**********

Sirius went down to the kitchen after he had showered. _I think I understand why Arthur was so fascinated by the Muggles. They sure do know how to devise ways to make their lives comfortable. I'm feeling a little strange._ He went down the stairs slowly, expecting his legs to go into sudden cramps._ I don't feel the tiniest bit of aching. Maybe I had just gotten used to limping about the house this few days._

Fenix was busily deep-frying some chicken wigs for dinner. He casually picked a mug, poured himself a cold mineral drink, and sat down quietly in the kitchen. The wizard and the Fire Master were left in the house as the wolves accompanied Aldren, a brown-haired elf with vivid violet cat-like eyes to patrol the Wood. His younger brother and Fenix's elder sister were out shopping. 

"Why are you hanging around the kitchen? It's pretty damn boring watching me cook anyway," Fenix said, her back still facing him. She felt that he was grinning at her back and she smiled slowly. 

"Actually, I don't really know. Maybe I just like your company," Sirius replied teasingly, and chuckled a little when she gave an unwomanly snort. "Are you sure you don't want me as your boyfriend?" 

"Stop that!" Fenix said crossly, with just a touch of annoyance. 

Sirius sighed plaintively. "Since you don't want me _that_ way, would you be my sister instead?" 

Fenix stood rigidly, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. She turned slowly to face him, carefully keeping her face neutral. Sirius was wearing the same blank expression on his face. 

"Why would you want that?" 

"You gave me something when you were Healing me. In the days that followed, you treated me as one of your own. You shared your life-force for me to live," Sirius whispered, his eyes looking down at his glass of water. "Never had a sister of my own… Never did have a family that I would be proud to call my own… _Not even my own blood…_" He continued in a hushed voice. 

**********

__

I really should have cleared my email up days ago…How in the world do I stop all these unnecessary mails? The mail from my ex was a good one though…Finally got himself married to the right kind of girl… 

Fenix stretched her back and leaned against the chair, looking up at the clock. _Dear Sungod! Two a.m.? I'm such a slowpoke, and I still have my other two mailboxes to go!_ Fenix bit her lip in exasperation, massaging her tired fingers. _Damnation…they just have to wait till I'm free again. I hope there aren't any important messages._ She sighed in resignation, signing off from her ICQ and Hotmail and canceled her Internet connection. Shutting down the computer, she went to the window and stared into the Wood that filled her view. 

__

: Krill, : Fenix called out to her Salamander. 

__

: Yes, lady? : 

__

: Is Sirius asleep? : 

__

: No, he is still waiting for you. : 

Fenix smiled, and stared up at the night sky. _Stubborn man…_

__

: No more stubborn than you. I assume you want me to fetch the dagger_? : _Krill asked her, materializing beside her, his back radiating gentle flames. 

__

: Yes, and thank you. : Fenix replied and waited for Krill to reappear with the dagger. She stared out, taking the blinking lights of dancing fireflies. In the distant, she could hear the eerie voices of the Nymphs as they rejoiced in the coming of autumn. Her Salamander appeared with a soft pop with the dagger floating on its back. She took it without fear of burning herself, stared at the strangely plain dagger, and reminisced when Aldren and her stood beneath a hornbeam tree. He had given her this dagger for her nineteenth birthday but she never knew about the use of this dagger. Until one night, it had saved her from an angry Fire Mare, one of the many accidents that could happen during a Summoning. Her mentor had taught her that, and the dagger certainly came in handy when she had to shatter the focus-point. A unicorn appeared out of nowhere. It had asked her to look the dagger under the moonlight. 

Pulling her thoughts back to the present, she went out of her study room and swiftly went down the stairs to her bedroom. She paused for a while as she stepped into her bedroom, as her eyes swiftly adjusted in the dimness. Sirius was sitting on the bed, staring at her, his eyes searching her face. She approached the bed and sat tentatively on it. She gave him the dagger and smiled gently at his quizzical expression. _And I hope you were really serious about your request…_

"Tilt the blade against the moonshine and memorize what you see," she instructed. 

Sirius did as what she had instructed him and stared at the blade when words suddenly jumped into view. He nodded and handed the dagger back and gave a startled yelp when she slashed her right palm with the dagger. She winced at the sudden sting the wound caused and Sirius pried the dagger away from her left hand. He knew what to do, slashed his own palm, and joined his bleeding wound to hers. 

__

'Oath to Oath... 

__

We are Bound… 

__

Blood to Blood… 

__

We are One… 

__

Our lines Entwined… 

__

And will never be broken...' 

As their voices uttered the last phrase to cement their bonds, a peculiar green light began to glow and pulsate beneath their palms. Only when the light died did they unclasped their hands and Fenix looked at her palm in amazement. _That wasn't me. I didn't Heal him or myself…_In the pale moonlight, their palms revealed an identical pentacle scar with no evidence of blood. _Did He do it?_

"Welcome home, brother…" Fenix finally said softly. Sirius took her into his arms and gave her a tight hug. 

"Sister…" Sirius whispered and the smile in Sirius's eyes erased any doubtful thoughts that this was what he had wanted. 

**********


	9. Fetching for Sirius

****

~ Chapter 9: Fetching for Sirius ~   


****

Friday, 28th July, in the Maxwell's library…

Sirius was sitting morosely in the library, lackadaisically leafing through one of the books he had picked randomly. He had considerably put on a little more weight and looked much healthier ever since he had escaped from the trappings of the portal. He was unaware of Fenix as she walked across the library silently. He was only aware of her presence when the book was snatched from over his shoulder. 

"Sirius, what's bothering you?" Fenix questioned as she leaned over him, her silver eyes showing him that she was worried. 

"Nothing…" Sirius's voice trailed off as he stared blankly at a bookshelf across him. Fenix gave a snort and delicately twisted his right ear. 

"Ouch! What did I say?" 

"_Exactly._ Don't lie to me Sirius. Have you forgotten that I am an Empath? Even if I'm shielding hard--which is exactly what I'm doing right now, I can't shake off the feeling you're restless over something because of our bond." 

Sirius gave a heavy sigh and made space for her on the couch. Fenix sat down on the couch, turning her face to look at him. A wave of despair emanated out from him and she tenderly caressed his cheek. 

"Tell me," she whispered, as her silver eyes stared deeply into his. 

"How did you managed to get your blue file on the day you were showing me a newspaper cutout?" 

"By way of Fetching. Why?" 

"I just need to get my hands on something," Sirius began, his eyes looking pleadingly back at hers. "I would go to where it is myself, but I have no way of knowing if the area in question is in safe hands or not." 

"Well, I shouldn't have a problem helping you. Distance doesn't really matter that much to me. But the size might," Fenix cautioned when Sirius looked eagerly at her. 

"I just need you to get a two-way mirror, which is about the size of my palm," he explained, holding up his right palm. Fenix leaned backed on the couch, her face thoughtful. Her fingers twirled a lock of her hair in an unconscious gesture and Sirius gathered that she does that when she was in deep thought. _I wonder how she behaves when she's studying._

"This is a rather tricky thing to do. I assume that you've kept this thing in your house?" at Sirius's nod she pursed her lips. 

"Obviously…" 

"That means I have to do it through you," Fenix decided. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, I need to work with your memories to get it. Where your house is, and where you had kept it. Evidently, we have to hope that it is still where you left it." 

Sirius thought about the plan carefully. _I will do anything to let Harry know I'm still alive, even if it means that someone will be able to read my memories…and intentions. But I guess it's quite impossible to hide anything from her…_

"I would not intrude on anything unless you gave me permission to do that," Fenix said, almost as if she had been reading his mind, standing up and beckoning him out of the library. "I think we should go to my study room, it's a much more suitable place to do it." 

Sirius nodded and she led the way to her Workroom. 

__

: Aldren, where are you? : She sent a thought out towards the elf. 

__

: We all are in the kitchen. : 

__

: Okay then, I will be Fetching something for Sirius so do not enter my Workroom unless it's an emergency all right? : 

__

: Roger that. : Aldren sent his agreement. 

Sirius went into a room that was occupied by a very large table and several utensils for writing and papers stacked neatly at one corner of the mahogany-wooden table and what the Muggles call laptops. However, the room began to change as soon as the door to her Workroom closed. 

The room was empty; only filled with a carpet of grass and sunlight entered from the window, giving the room an ethereal sunny look and it made Sirius happier than he had been half an hour ago. Fenix sat down cross-legged at the soft grass and patted on her lap, indicating that he should lie down. 

"This will make it much easier," Fenix said, giving him a smile when Sirius looked uncertainly at her. He gave way, carefully sitting down before placing his head on her lap. 

"Where is your house?" 

"Grimmauld Place, London," Sirius began and looked curiously when she looked blankly at him. It was a while before she spoke up. 

"Okay, your house number?" 

"Twelve." 

"Twelve?" Fenix frowned, although her eyes were not really looking at him. "Now this is strange; I see Ten, Eleven and then it's Thirteen…" she frowned harder. "Oh I see…you have a compression. Smart thing to do. And dear Phoebus! You do have a lot of protection spells woven all through the house," she remarked. "I should be able to work my way in between them; wait there is something isn't right. A house-elf eh?" Fenix frowned. She paused as if listening for a conversation that only she could hear. "Isn't he a malicious helper? Did you asked him to look after the house?" Fenix questioned Sirius carefully. 

"I don't really know. What could you see?" Sirius answered her. 

"There seems a lot of muttering coming from several paintings, and as far as I am able to tell, your house-elf is kind of -- uh -- corrupted." 

"I won't be surprised if my mother's the one doing a lot of shrieking," Sirius said with bitter amusement, "and I am not really disturbed about your observation on Kreacher." 

"Everything else seems all right though. I doubt your house-elf could detect my awareness. Now I want you to think hard of where you had kept the mirror. I will use the image in your mind to get to it." 

This part was extremely slow. Images of Harry kept flitting through his mind when he came to visit Sirius's home for the first time. Finally, after what seemed like eternity to Sirius, he managed to hold on to the image and felt a strange sensation at the back of his mind. 

"All right. I've got a lock on the target; I will find out in a moment if it is still there…" 

Sirius felt a strange pulling sensation in his mind and all around him, then a strange popping sound filled the workroom. 

"All right, we did it!" Fenix cheered, releasing her hold over Sirius. "Keep your eyes closed for several moments and open them slowly. If you do it too fast, you might black out." 

Sirius followed her instructions closely and when it felt long enough to him, he opened his eyes. Fenix was holding a mirror, a bit tarnished but intact._ I hope it still works…_

"Now you will tell me why you need this badly," she said playfully, holding the mirror out of his reach. 

"Be careful with it…" Sirius begged, and heaved a sigh of relief when she placed it firmly into his hands. 

"It will be Harry's birthday in three days, and he has another one just like this." Sirius said. 

"That's wonderful, Sirius," she breathed as she fully understood the idea. "Do you want me to give the boy some mysterious advice so he would look upon his?" 

"You could do that?" Sirius asked in amazement. 

"Yes, but I think I would go through an Elemental this time. A Fire Elemental Mage is with Harry at the moment. I believe you know him," she said mysteriously. 

"And who is he?" 

"Hermione's father." 

The look Sirius gave her was so comical that she laughed uncontrollably. It took her a long time to control her laughter but she choked it down, her face reddening when Sirius got up and gave a sour look at her. 

"Hey! Are you guys done?" a voice called out from outside the room. "Lunch's ready!" The room returned to its normal state and Sirius tucked the mirror safely in his breast pocket. 

"I'm definitely hungry," Fenix said and blushed when her stomach made a very loud protest. 

"Now we're even," Sirius said and began to chuckle under his breath that got louder when Fenix began to fume. 

**********


	10. Reflections Upon A Shining Surface

****

~ Chapter 10: Reflections Upon A Shining Surface ~   


****

In the garden at The Burrow…

"Don't let that one escape!" Hermione shrieked, scampering around the garden, with Crookshanks chasing a gnome from the vegetable patch. She groaned with frustration when the gnome neatly evaded from her reach. "_I will not_ resort to cheating!" the young woman shouted determinedly in the air, and ran in another direction, her curly hair bouncing off her back. 

Harry wiped the sweat off his forehead using a handkerchief provided by Mrs. Weasley. The twins were working in the joke shop while Bill and Mr. Weasley made a trip down to the Ministry. Charlie, the second eldest of the Weasley siblings had dropped by two days ago by dragonback, and then went to perform an errand from Professor Dumbledore. That left the young adults to Mrs. Weasley and she instructed that they help her degnome the garden while it was still sunny. Mr. Granger wanted to see how they degnome the garden so that left the two adult females to see to dinner. Harry leaned towards Ron who was watching Hermione dreamily. 

"I certainly did not imagine Hermione would be acting like this," he whispered. 

"What do you mean?" Ron asked in puzzlement. 

"It seems that she's much more easy-going than she had been the past few years, and certainly developed a little sense of humor, even if it's a bit warped sometimes." Harry explained hastily. 

"That's probably because of her parents. She wants to enjoy as much as she can while we all are still on holiday. It won't be a pleasure jaunt for us this year, not with the restrictions that would take effect once the school terms starts." Ron said, and Harry wondered at his friend's reactions as well. _Ron seemed to have matured a lot. Maybe appointing him, as a Prefect was a good decision after all, he's showing the signs of wisdom and self-confidence. And I wonder when our OWL results are… I remembered Professor McGonagall said that we would know our results by July. Strange… neither Hermione or Ron talked anything about OWLs… neither do their family members…_

"Aha! Got you now!" Hermione gave a triumphant shout and hurled the gnome towards her father, who batted at the gnome expertly. Harry narrowed his eyes as he watched the affronted gnome soaring farther and farther from the Burrow. 

Ginny had complained to Mr. Granger that degnoming the garden would be a waste of time because the gnomes would always find their way back to the garden in about twenty-four hours time. That gave Mr. Granger an idea, took some firewood, and whispered to Hermione. The rest watched curiously as Hermione Transfigured the wood into what Harry recognized as a baseball bat. Harry got a vague idea and was the first to catch a gnome lurking under a berry-bush. To everyone's amazement, Harry tossed the gnome towards Mr. Granger who hit the gnome squarely, sending it flying away. 

"Wicked," Ron whispered, his eyes glinting with excitement. 

"At least the knock on his rump will make sure he takes his time getting back to the garden," Ginny observed clinically. 

"Good job, dad!" Hermione panted, her eyes twinkling in the afternoon sun. 

Mrs. Granger stood at the kitchen door. "Aren't you guys being a little sadistic?" 

"Oh, come now. It's a good way to relieve stress," Mr. Granger said. 

"Whatever. If you guys are finished, why don't you wash up and help in setting up for dinner?" she suggested. Those working in the garden nodded their agreement and began taking off their gloves. 

"I wonder why I'm always hungry," Ron muttered. 

"Just signs of growing up," Mr. Granger answered sententiously. 

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Harry greeted, "is Professor Lupin all right?" 

"I don't really know," Mrs. Weasley bit her lip. "He's feeling very edgy, and he thinks he shouldn't come down to dinner tonight." 

A sudden noise broke out in the garden. Harry stared calmly as Professor Snape made his way to the kitchen. Ron narrowed his eyes dangerously and the two girls held tightly on his arms. Ron had found the Potions Master actions during the previous term disgusting. The head of the Slytherin House stared menacingly at the Grangers' and since they were already aware of his animosity towards the young Potter, they had dared to show to show their indifference to the Potions Master. 

"Dearheart, if you burn anything in the house, I'll kill you," Mrs. Granger threatened softly, her lips not moving. Mrs. Weasley jerked her chin towards the stairs. 

"Don't bother, Severus. I'm not taking the potion. It won't work anymore," Professor Lupin said, as he trudged down the stairs to take a sit on one of the wooden chairs. "By the way," Professor Lupin turned to the Fire Mage, "that was a good hit." 

Professor Snape bristled, but as he turned, he met Harry's silent, and calm green eyes. 

__

Crack! 

Professor Snape Disapparated out of the house without a word coming out from his mouth. 

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione looked curiously at Harry. 

"Yes, I am," Harry replied impassively as he got up the stairs to bathe. 

**********

Dinner was quite a lively affair, with the Weasleys trying their best to cheer Professor Lupin. When they were not looking, Harry managed to catch his eyes and Professor Lupin shook his head in sufferance. They all retreated to the living room after they had cleaned up after dinner. 

"So what are we going to do tonight?" Ginny asked hopefully. 

"I don't know… Harry?" Hermione looked to Harry who just shrugged. 

"Pity we couldn't go out and play some Quidditch," Ron sighed. 

A sudden flicker of flame caught their attention. Mrs. Granger looked suspiciously at her husband. 

"Uh…Harry…you…uh…have a message," Mr. Granger began, looking slightly perplexed. 

"From who?" Harry asked cautiously. 

"It's by… Fenix Maxwell, the Fire Master," Hermione's father said, and everyone turned curiously to look at Harry. 

"Look in the shining surface and call upon it on the instant of the midnight hour, that signifies another marking in your life," a familiar deep voice spoke up. "Well, that's the message your colleague gave me," the voice addressed Mr. Granger. 

They all looked upon Harry expectantly. He was not paying attention to how the company was looking at him. Instead, he was mumbling absently to himself. "Shining surface…and call…new marking…" Harry brooded silently, deep in thoughts. 

"Shall we engage ourselves in a game of wizard chess?" Ginny suggested lamely. 

**********

****

Saturday, 29th July. Full moon… 

It was a tense evening for everyone living in The Burrow. A distance from Ron's home and away from any prying Muggles was a sturdy shack that the Weasleys' had magically built especially for Professor Lupin's use. Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Granger and Bill were at home, as the rest took upon themselves to guard Professor Lupin. A hair-raising howl emerged from the shack. Hermione jumped in surprise when the werewolf suddenly rammed against the solid wall of the shed. 

"It's too bad none of us are Animagus," Fred muttered under his breath as he stared at the shack in concern. Although that the stigma on Professor Lupin was bound to rub on the Weasley family, they were genuinely concerned about him. 

"Even if we were, we wouldn't really know how to handle him," their father said, scuffing his feet on the ground. 

All of them had their wands in handy just in case something happens. Harry seated himself, leaned back against a broad oak tree, and stared out. _I still don't get the message given by the Salamander. 'Look in the shining surface and call upon it on the instant of the midnight hour, that signifies another marking in your life'. Why must it be so cryptic? _Harry sighed, starting to feel a little frustrated. 

"Thinking about the message, Harry?" Hermione said as she and Ron sat down underneath the oak tree, looking above at the night sky, the stars glittering gently above their heads. 

"Yeah, I still can't figure it." 

"As far as I understand it," Hermione said and paused as the ground rattled beneath them, shuddering at the fearsome force the werewolf had made, "you are supposed to look into a shining surface and call on something on the instant you turn a year older." 

"Explain," Ron suggested. "Our skulls are much thicker than yours." 

"It seems logical. _'The instant of the midnight hour, that signifies another marking in your life'_," Hermione recited then continued, "you were born at midnight, a marking means in this case that you had just added another mark; meaning one year." Ron looked at her with a blur expression on his face. "Oh, bother, just trust me in this one. What you need to figure out Harry, is the first part. _'Look in the shining surface and call upon it'_. What is it that you need to look into? A basin of water?" 

"Shining surface…" Ron mumbled. "A mirror maybe?" 

Harry remained mute. _A mirror…and call upon it…It can't be!_ Harry suddenly jerked upright, his eyes growing wider. 

"Have you figured something out?" Hermione asked excitedly. But Harry shook his head, suppressing his own growing excitement. They all jumped when an ear-shattering howl escaped from the shack. 

"Anyone game for Exploding Snaps?" Ginny called out shakily. 

**********

****

In Fenix's bedroom… 

__

"Sirius…" he heard a whisper. "Sirius, wake up!" someone called urgently this time. 

"Wh--what?" Sirius blinked his eyes groggily, awakened by Fenix's shaking. 

"You're dreaming again," Fenix explained. "Anything wrong?" 

Sirius sat up on the bed and rubbed at his eyes. "Do you think I need a haircut?" he suddenly asked inconsequentially. 

"You're evading my question," Fenix accused, her eyes narrowing dangerously. 

Sirius gave a light chuckle. "It was just dreams, sister. I was dreaming about a friend of mine, howling in distress." 

"Howling?" Fenix asked, her face almost minx-like in the strong moonlight because of her growing curiosity. 

"Yes, howling. You see," Sirius paused and leaned forward, "he's a werewolf." 

Fenix raised an eyebrow. "You certainly make friends with the unusual kind." 

"Now the pot is calling the kettle black. _You're_ the eccentric one. Whoever would think of making wolves as pets?" Sirius snorted and Fenix hit him with a pillow. 

__

: You are certainly acting like siblings, : Silver observed, as he padded quietly into the room. 

"They are not pets. They are my bondmates,"she said, gritting her teeth. 

__

: Hello, Silv. How was the frolic? : Sirius asked casually, sending his thought to both wolf and human. 

__

: It was awesome. : The silver wolf replied directly into their minds. Fenix stared incredulously at Sirius. 

"Why you--" Fenix growled, then continued her attack on Sirius. _: You could have told me you could communicate using mindspeech! Gods, how stupid I am! And all the time I was wasting my energy shouting all around the house! : _She deserted fighting with the pillow and began with a more hands-on approach. She started pinching the very amused and wincing Black. 

__

: It isn't really my fault! You didn't ask! : 

__

: Oh yeah? : She doubled her efforts. 

__

: All right! ALL RIGHT! : Sirius gave up the fight. _: I yield. :_

Fenix stopped pinching, but her face glowed with satisfaction. 

"I'm really excited when the time comes," Sirius said absently, lying down again. Silver jumped up onto the bed and curled himself on Sirius's legs. Fenix resumed her former position, which was lying beside her oathbrother. 

"And you want to know something," Sirius added, his face bearing a mischievous smile, "I think if I have the chance, I would really like to matchmake you." 

"To whom? Your howling friend?" Fenix asked archly. 

"Well, no. Actually I was thinking about this man," Sirius said, linking his mind with hers easily, and posted an image of Severus Snape. 

__

: SIRIUS! DON'T YOU DARE!_ :_ Fenix yelped. Sirius had told her of the various people that Harry had to work with constantly and was not really impressed by Severus. _Well, I can't really judge until I've met the man for myself. Sometimes Sirius looks at things very differently…_

__

: I was just kidding! : Sirius assured her, breaking into a hearty laughter. 

__

: The nerve of this man, : she complained helplessly. 

__

: You two stop that, : Wind chided firmly. _: It's already late. Go to sleep. :_

__

: Yes mum. : The two humans replied as one and the female wolf gave them a stinging slap causing the humans to wince and rubbed at their aching temples. Sirius grinned and winked at Fenix. She winked back. 

__

: Night, : her sleepy thought reached him. 

__

: Night and sweet dreams. : Sirius gave her a light kiss on her cheek and they all drifted away to sleep. 

**********

****

Sunday, 30th July. Four hours before midnight… 

Professor Lupin looked better than he had in days before, much to the relief of everyone in The Burrow. Mrs. Weasley was feeling quite a bit frantic when Moody, Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster of Hogwarts suddenly Apparated on the front step of The Burrow. 

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry whispered, as she prepared some pumpkin juice. 

"Yes Harry?" she asked in a preoccupied way. 

"I'm sorry if I'm causing too much trouble," Harry told the plump woman sincerely. 

"Oh, Harry. It's not your fault that they had come. I don't really mind at all; but only if they had given me some early notice or something," she sighed and concentrated on her task. Harry felt as if a huge load of burden had been lifted from his shoulders and joined in with the others in the garden, where they were helping in setting up tables to accommodate the slightly larger group. 

Professor Lupin was instructing the boys and Harry looked around for his owl. A sudden weight on his right shoulder made him smile. 

"Hello, Hedwig. Had a good hunt?" Harry asked, turning his head to look into her golden eyes. His owl nibbled gently on his hair before launching herself off into the sky. 

"Harry, do you mind arranging the chairs now?" Hermione called out and he gave a nod. He went around the corner where the chairs have all been stacked up and picked them up, one at a time. 

"It is always good to keep yourself in practice," Professor Lupin hinted and Harry sighed. 

__

"Wingardium leviosa." 

Professor Dumbledore was in deep discussion with Hermione's parents and they--Moody and Professor McGonagall--seemed very much interested with the strange Fire Master. Harry felt something tugging on his sleeve. Nothing was there except for a single white rose at his feet. Harry picked it up and fingered it peculiarly. However, he was not unnoticed because he saw Hermione smiling at him. 

"Don't worry, Harry. It is a gift from a friend," she spoke up. 

"Who?" 

"My mom's Sylph. She seemed to be quite taken with you," Hermione said, then laughed at his terrified expression. "Don't worry, Harry. It isn't a crush or anything like that. She simply likes you." 

"Okay," Harry replied dubiously, nervously looking around at the empty air. A silvery giggle emerged from inside the house and Professor Moody jumped slightly, his magical-eye spinning around as if to locate the source. 

"I like this one," a soft musical voice spoke up, coming directly in front of Professor Moody. Hermione giggled as she watched Arenii, blinking flirtatiously at the nonplussed Auror. The Auror felt a strange hugging sensation and his face reddened with embarrassment, while Professor Dumbledore peered curiously, not able to see the pixilated Sylph. Hermione dashed outside and they all could hear her resonant laughter quite clearly from in the house. Mrs. Granger surprisingly managed to keep a straight face as she watched her playful Sylph hugged the weird-looking Auror. 

"Arenii, stop that this instant," she instructed firmly and the Sylph gave another giggle as she kissed the man's cheek and returned to hover beside Mrs. Granger. 

"What was that?" Moody asked, looking suspiciously at Mrs. Granger. The woman just shrugged leaving the Auror's question unanswered. 

**********

Sirius was getting excited with each passing minute. Aldren watched the man with his cat-like eyes in puzzlement. 

__

: I'm getting dizzy by just feeling _him pace around, : _he silently commented to Fenix who was watching the wizard with a peculiar smile. 

__

: I think he's _right. Aldren, why don't you give his hair a trim? : _She suggested absently. 

__

: You think he would consent to it? : 

__

: Well, we don't really need to ask him, do we? : 

The grin the elf gave her was devilish. _: Do you have the things ready? And where do you want it to be done? :_

__

: Here. : 

Sirius stopped his pacing, as a chair suddenly appeared right in front of him, barricading his way. And a mirror hung in mid-air and Sirius found himself being lifted by invisible hands of the Sylphs, who were all giggling at the surprised wizard. 

__

: What is going on? : He demanded. 

__

: Just carrying out instructions, : Aldren informed him. The elf sprayed water onto the man's long black hair and began to comb it. Fenix in the meantime watched her friend as he began to trim Sirius's hair deftly. 

**********

****

Thirty minutes to midnight… 

"Harry, have you figured out the message?" Hermione whispered. Ron groaned in his seat, patting his stomach tenderly. She gave a sidelong smile at the boy sitting beside her. 

Harry gulped down on his chilled pumpkin juice. "Yeah." 

Fred was discussing how they should start Harry's birthday celebration. Hermione raised her hand and the twin looked at her curiously. 

"Have you forgotten that Harry was supposed to do something at midnight?" 

"Oh--yeah," Fred mumbled, slightly embarrassed. 

"You must be getting old, bro." George smirked. 

"Shut up!" Fred snapped. "Well, Harry will do whatever he wants to do at midnight; then the cake and then…" He stopped, and the twins gave Harry a very evil look. Fred continued, "And then he'll deal with the presents." 

Harry felt strangely detached from himself. Professor Dumbledore was discussing quietly with Professor Lupin while Mr. Weasley bombarded the Grangers' with more questions about the Muggle world. Minutes passed slowly. Professor Dumbledore took out his pocket watch and it spoke. 

__

"Exactly three minutes to midnight!" 

The table went silent as Harry stood up and fished out for a package from his pocket. Harry slowly opened the package and held out the two-way mirror. He remembered the evening when he had flung the mirror back in his trunk and it shattered. But on the night before they left Hogwarts, he had asked Hermione to repair it. Hermione did it without asking why. 

__

"Exactly a minute till your birthday!" the pocket watch screeched. Harry turned the mirror back to read Sirius's handwriting. 

"Get ready, Harry," the Salamander spoke up. 

"Are you sure you know what you're supposed to do?" Ron asked him dubiously. Harry did not answer him as a chorus of voices echoed through the night. 

__

"It's time." 

Harry's eyes misted and he called out the one name that belonged to a person he wanted very much to be back in his life. "Sirius," Harry whispered. Nothing happened. 

"Sirius Black." He tried again. Still, nothing happened. Harry trembled, his eyes misting heavily and blinked furiously. 

__

"Padfoot!" Harry croaked out, with a touch of command and desperation in his voice. 

The dirty surface of the mirror began to blur and suddenly light shone out of it. And there in the reflection of the mirror, was not Harry's but a very cheerful and healthy godfather, with a head that looked as if he had just gone for a haircut. 

"Happy Birthday Harry!" Sirius gave a dazzling smile at his overwhelmed godson. 

**********


	11. The Return of Black

****

~ The Return of Black ~

They all looked incredulously at Harry and the two-way mirror. 

"It's not possible, it's not really possible…" Mrs. Weasley whispered almost to herself. 

"You're quite wrong Molly. Nothing in the world is impossible," Sirius replied quite clearly, his cheerfulness tangible by his tone. 

"Sirius…" Harry's voice stuck in his throat. 

"Don't worry, Harry. I'll be heading down to The Burrow soon enough and I'll explain what happened to me in detail. Where's Professor Dumbledore?" Sirius asked rather calmly. 

"Welcome back, Sirius," the Headmaster greeted upon the reflection. Although the aged wizard appeared calm, dozens of conflicting thoughts were milling about in his mind. _Who found him and saved him?_

"Thank you, I believe you want to meet the Fire Master. Would it be all right if I bring her down to The Burrow?" 

The Headmaster looked at the Weasleys. Mr. Weasley gave his consent, nodding excitedly. 

"Very well," the Headmaster agreed. _So, she was the one who had found him. I believe that our lives would get more interesting._

"Harry?" his godfather called and the aged man handed the mirror back to the boy. "You could expect us in about a week; certainly no more than that," Sirius said, his eyes scanning Harry's face. 

"Might be earlier!" a buoyant feminine voice echoed in the background. Sirius's reflection smiled dreamily when he heard the voice. 

"I'm back. And I'm glad I'm back," he whispered. Harry nodded and the mirror went dark. When Harry looked at it again, the dirty surface was back._ It was a good thing the mirror still worked… Sirius…he's back…he's really back…_

"Hermione," Harry whispered, his face shocked. His friend quickly got up from her seat and enfolded him in her arms. 

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Hermione whispered softly in his ear. 

"Sirius is alive…" Harry whispered, his voice thick with tears. 

**********

Sirius was shaking. He quickly dropped the small mirror safely into Fenix's hands and collapsed on his knees. Fenix crossed the bedroom quickly to first close the door, and then placed the mirror back in the drawer. She quickly switched the lights off and helped Sirius to the bed. There, he hung upon her, shaking uncontrollably with silent tears. 

__

He is so unlike you James…if you were alive…you'll be so proud of him…I'm a fool…I thought that my love for the boy is because he looked so much like you! Dear God, I've been a fool…But only Fenix knew that I blundered…I knew Harry suspected it…but now it is not true… I'll take better care of him now…I am not clouded by misconceptions anymore…I'll be his best guardian… 

Fenix held Sirius comfortingly in her arms and caressed his hair lightly. Soon, his need to cry subsided. 

__

: Feeling better, brother? : Fenix asked, her mindvoice echoing softly in his mind. 

__

: Yes, thank you. Don't tell anyone all right? : 

__

: I won't but you'll be surprised on how much the boy do know. And I suspect that 'howling' friend of yours does too. But then, it isn't the truth anymore. Now, you loved Harry more as a son, and not as someone to replace a lost friend. : Fenix said. 

__

: In a way, I am glad you two took the blood oath. : Silver spoke up. 

__

: Why? : Fenix asked, perplexity traveling down through the bonds of her bondmates and her oathbrother. 

__

: I don't exactly know why, : Silver answered. 

__

: So, when do you think we can move out? And how do you plan to make our way down to The Burrow? : 

__

: To your first question, I think we can move out on Tuesday. The Elves will take care of the Wood and the house, and the Elementals would be able to reach me in case of any emergencies. And to the second question, we'll be going on four paws. : 

__

: Wait a sec--I could change myself to a dog but how about you? : 

__

: Just wait and see. You'll be surprised. : Wind interjected. 

__

: I dare not build a Gate, : Fenix said, looking down sympathetically at Sirius who had shuddered, _: so, I guess we'll do it the hard way. :_

__

: Get some sleep. I believe you have several preparations to make in the morning, : Silver suggested. 

__

: How about clothes? : 

__

: I'll worry about that. : Fenix reassured him. 

**********

****

The beginning of the journey… 

"You guys take care all right," Giselle hugged her sister tearfully. 

"Sis, you're embarrassing me. It's not as if I'm going off to get married or something," Fenix muttered under her breath as her elder sister hugged her for the fifth time. 

"Keep in touch with me, all right?" 

Derian and Giselle stayed in the house with several other Elves, while Aldren escorted Fenix, Sirius and the two wolves into the woods. 

__

: Stay safe, friends, : Aldren said, hugging Fenix and then squeezed Sirius's right shoulder affectionately. 

__

: You too, Elf, and stay out of trouble, : Sirius said. 

Aldren retreated, and Sirius began to blur and finally emerged as a huge, shaggy, black dog. 

__

: I wonder if the communication lines are still open in this form, : her oathbrother mused. 

__

: I can still hear you, : Wind said, touching her nose to Sirius's and he gave the wolf a lopsided grin. 

__

: Your turn little sister. : 

__

: Hang on to your claws, brother-mine, : Fenix said impishly as she began to blur. Suddenly a wall of fog began to form and it separated her from the rest. A silver-black wolf trotted out of the fog. The new wolf had a peculiar, silver dagger mark on her chest. 

__

: Are we ready? : Fenix asked, nuzzling Sirius in greeting. 

__

: You should take this form more often, : Wind said, her mindvoice filled with amazement. 

__

: You are so full of surprises, : Sirius marveled, _: anyway, let's get moving. :_

The four canines trotted off silently on the ground, with nothing weighing down their backs except for the cold wind. 

**********

****

Wednesday, 2nd August. At The Burrow… 

The Burrow was filled with activity, as anyone who was free was set to do some spring-cleaning. Professor Lupin was going about his tasks with such springiness that made Mrs. Weasley smile every time she came across the man. He whistled almost continuously and they did not blame him._ Dear Lady, I'm so glad he is alive. Thank You for watching him…_

All of them were in much high-spirits since Harry's birthday. Harry got himself a box full of his favorite candies, courtesy of the twins. Hermione and Ron had shared some money to get Harry a pair of very classical Quidditch gloves. Mrs. Weasley had knitted him a midnight blue sweater. Professor Lupin had given Harry something that looked very odd. It was an almost flat crystal but when Harry looked at it carefully, he noticed that it held a feather. He had asked the Professor about its uses, but the older man just shook his head enigmatically and quite simply told him that he would find out about it when it is time. 

They had placed Ron back with the twins and that meant that Harry's bedroom tonight would be a little cramped. Ron's previous room would house the Fire Master and Harry's godfather. Mr. Granger assured Mrs. Weasley that the arrangement would be perfectly safe for the woman. 

"Trust me, I don't think she'll let Sirius do anything to harm her." 

"Sirius could always share a room with Remus, if Fenix's uncomfortable with the situation." Mr. Weasley said to his wife. 

"Or maybe the other way around," a voice said impudently which they all recognized as belonging to the Sylph. 

"Fenix would skin you alive if she heard that," a deep voice muttered. 

"Well, she isn't here to hear it," the Sylph replied. 

"And what makes you think the others won't tell her?" the Salamander questioned calmly. The Sylph shrugged her indifference. The occupants looked quizzically at the invisible air. Hermione shrugged her incomprehension and resumed her sweeping. 

"I hope Sirius isn't trying to match me with anyone," Professor Lupin growled. "He used to that when we're students," he explained when Harry looked at him expectantly. "He just don't understand that nobody would care to partner someone who is a werewolf." 

Mrs. Weasley was silent when he said that. Except for Hermione, who was staring intensely at the Professor. "I think you will find out soon enough, that that particular statement isn't true," the young woman said, her eyes glowing mysteriously, then she went upstairs with Ron and Ginny trailing behind her. 

"Did any of you understand that?" Professor Lupin demanded. Harry shook his head. 

"You rotten gnomes! Get out of my garden! Scat!" Mrs. Weasley screamed. 

Harry looked expectantly at Mr. Granger who smiled devilishly. _Now I know from whom Hermione inherited that particular winsome smile._ "Shall we go and pacify Mrs. Weasley, Harry?" 

"I believe so… it's better to do something voluntarily than being ordered to, doesn't it?" Harry bantered slyly. 

"You'll do all right," Mr. Granger assured him. Harry picked up the de-gnoming gloves, slipped them on, and passed the Fire Mage a pair. The Fire Mage picked his bat and trotted out towards the garden. He sniffed at the air. 

"Going to rain this evening. I could smell it coming," Mr. Weasley said. 

"Let's hit them hard this time. Maybe the rain would be able to confuse their sense of direction for a bit," Harry suggested, giving Hermione's dad a devilish grin. 

The twins who had Apparated in with slightly muffled cracks soon joined them. Fred looked quizzically at the unusual pair and stood awestruck as he watched Harry deftly caught a gnome and instead of hurling it off, Harry passed the now-screaming gnome to Mr. Granger. The Fire Mage struck at it skillfully on its rear. 

"Wow!" the twins breathed as their hands began to itch and dashed up to their room to get their own bats. 

"Now see what you have done?" Mrs. Granger said disapprovingly at her husband. 

"Well, it's really fun!" Mr. Granger protested mildly. 

__

"Boys!" his wife said in aggravation as she made way for the hurrying twins, their face lighting up with their usual mischief. 

"Harry, catch!" Mr. Granger called out, tossing the bat to him. "I'll grab a gnome for you." 

George suddenly caught sight of a group of gnomes under the peony patch and yelled. "Ginny!!!" 

"What?" the youngest of the Weasley siblings poked her head through a window. 

"Are you free?" George shouted. "A lot of manifestation down here!" 

"All right, I'm coming down!" 

"Do you want to know something bro?" Fred said, catching the attention as he watched the Fire Master successfully grabbing hold of a gnome's legs and threw it at Harry. 

__

SMACK! 

They squinted as they watched the flying gnome screaming its heart out away beyond the Weasleys' property. 

"You're quite a good beater, Harry," Fred complimented him. 

"What were you saying?" George pestered his twin. 

"Oh, it's a good thing Percy's not with us anymore. He had gotten himself out of his way to make himself uncomfortable with the family. He would feel more like a stranger here than in the Ministry," Fred said, a little sadly. 

"It's his own future," George said philosophically and gave his sister a smile as she joined them. 

**********

The four canines took shelter in an isolated cave. 

__

: I hate getting wet, : Wind complained, shaking herself off the rain droplets. 

__

: I agree. I hate to think about how I'll smell in about fifteen minute's time. : Fenix acknowledged. 

__

: Are we resting here tonight? : Sirius asked, moving deeper into the cave. 

Fenix turned to Silver, her silver wolf-eyes staring intently at the leader._ : No, but we'll rest until the downpour ceases, :_ The big silver wolf replied to the group. 

__

: Suits me, : Fenix said, lying down to conserve her energy. Sirius moved up towards her and cuddled close to her to keep themselves warm. 

__

: This method of speaking is damn convenient I must say. I wonder if Harry could speak in this method too. Could anybody detect this? : Sirius asked Fenix, who was chewing on her forepaws. 

__

: To the second question, quite unlikely except to another Hunter. It would be detected if one forgets to keep the conversation private. It depends on how strong your mindspeech is. I am a pretty strong one so I could talk in this way even if I'm miles away from you. But I have to be careful to only include you and the wolves in the conversation now. This I do by linking in first, before I start to babble… : She paused as she rearranged herself. _: And to the first question, unlikely, except if the boy has a kind of mind magic. It usually is much easier on those who have Animal Speech as well. :_

__

: Oh? : Sirius asked, huddling closer to her. _: You talked to wolves? :_

__

: No. It all started when I came across an injured eagle. Only when the Elven Lord introduced these two to the Wood did I learn to 'listen' and in time communicate with them. I guessed that you are what I would phrase as a 'natural wolf-speaker', : Fenix explained, putting her head down and began to doze. 

Sirius woke her up by licking her cheek sometime during the predawn. The downpour had ceased and the air smelled wonderful to her. She got up and stretched, already excited for the long run. 

__

: There isn't any form of civilizations until we come across the Great Elm, : Silver began,_ : we can start Jumping and move around when the humans are sleeping. :_

__

: Jumping? : Sirius asked quizzically. 

__

: It's a little complicated. The basic theory is that some mages; like me; are able to travel by compressing distances. It's a little similar to Gating. I doubt you would even notice when we Jump, : Fenix explained to her oathbrother. 

__

: I guess this is how we tackle over the need from crossing a large body of water? : The black dog questioned, tilting his head. The wolves nodded. Thus, they began their run for the morning. 

**********

****

At the Burrow… 

The four students from the Gryffindor House were playing a game called Heart Attack, which the Grangers' introduced. 

"Gotcha!" Ginny screamed with triumph as she won the game for the fifth time, much to Hermione's injured pride. 

"How do you do it, Ginny?" Hermione asked with disappointment. "This is a Muggle game and I haven't even won one! You always managed to get the best cards!" she pouted. 

Ginny was about to make a reply when two large trunks suddenly appeared from mid-air and much to Ron's horror, the trunks dropped directly on top of him. 

"RON!" Hermione yelped and scrambled to her knees to remove the luggage. 

"My goodness!" a series of voices echoed. "We're so sorry about your boyfriend, Hermione," the Sylphs hovered mid-air. 

"Oh, there you are. And you've brought their luggage t--," Mrs. Granger did not finish her sentence when Hermione shot a furious look at her mother. 

"We thought that your mother had warned you to keep out of Ron's bedroom." Arenii informed the female Gryffindor prefect calmly. 

__

"Mother…" Hermione hissed. Harry had managed to lever off the trunks, placed them up on the bed, and inspected Ron for any kind of permanent damage. 

"Are you all right?" Harry asked the winded Weasley. 

"Yeah…just wasn't expecting the weight…" Ron gasped, massaging his tender chest. "I hope I hadn't cracked… or worse… broke any ribs…" 

Hermione was now staring eye-to-eye with her mother. Ginny looked nervously at the Grangers. 

"Uhm…I think it's best if we go and call Mr. Granger," she gulped as she felt the air beginning to crackle between the mother and daughter. 

"I don't think that's a good idea," a silvery voice whispered. "The presence of the Fire Mage would probably infuriate them further." 

Mrs. Granger stared fiercely and muttered something under her breath. Hermione just arched her right eyebrow, something that she had picked up from Harry's godfather. 

"You must be proceeding to your dotage then," Hermione said. 

"Are you saying that I'm getting senile?" her mother questioned dangerously. 

"Why…_yes_!" 

The two began a screaming contest and that attracted Mrs. Weasley to Ron's ex-bedroom. She was about to call out when he caught her attention by waving his hands and shaking his head._ 'Let them have a go at each other'_ Ron mouthed to his mother. The air intensified and they all looked at the Grangers in alarm. That was because the electrified energy in the air had made both the Grangers' hair stood on ends. In an instant, the air deflated the hair of the Grangers', settling back untidily. 

"If you are done," Mrs. Weasley began timidly, "lunch's almost ready." 

Mother and daughter shot dagger-looks at each other and slowly began a light chuckle. 

"Did you see…Ron's face when your…hair began to…crackle?" Mrs. Granger asked her daughter brokenly, each pause punctuated by laughter. 

"You're finally slipping!" Hermione collapsed on her knees, holding her waist tightly as she began to laugh uncontrollably. 

"Did you see…how alarmed…your friends were?" Mrs. Granger knelt, hugging her daughter and laughing uproariously. 

Harry, Ron and Ginny stormed out of the bedroom with dark faces. Professor Lupin had crept behind Mrs. Weasley to observe the racket and to his delight and amusement, Ron wheeled around, whipped out his wand and muttered _'Colloportus!'_ The bedroom door slammed loudly, sealing the hysterically laughing mother-daughter pair inside. 

"I'm very proud of you, Ron," Ginny began looking solemnly at her brother. Ron did not turn back as he shuffled down the stairs. His face grew redder by the moment as he heard his best friend and Ginny doubled up with laughter. 

"Ron! That was masterful," Harry called out before he was consumed by laughter completely. 

"Thanks very much!" Ron yelled out in sarcasm. _What the hell! Hermione almost drowned me with panic. I really thought that they were about to have a duel or something. Bloody hell…_ Ron's lips began to curl and all of them could clearly hear his muffled laughter. 

**********

****

Thursday, 3rd August. Early daybreak… 

__

: Let's avoid the village, : Sirius advised the silver wolf. 

__

: I think we'll go uphill. Unless you mind that we're coming through the back? : Silver swung his head to look at Fenix, who was sniffing at the air. 

__

: Ha, ha, ha… : Fenix answered sardonically, then began to trot up the gentle slope. 

__

: She doesn't really have a lot of humor, does she? : Sirius asked as he watched the graceful canter of Fenix in her wolf form. 

__

: You'll be surprised, : Wind replied enigmatically. 

__

: How long has it been since she ever went out with men of her own kind? : 

__

: You mean humans? : 

__

: Yes. : 

__

: It's been quite a while, right dear? : Wind answered, and turned to Silver for confirmation. 

__

: I wonder why… : Sirius mused, while he panted as he sought to reach the silver-black wolf ahead of him. 

__

: She's very reclusive. And most men don't really understand her. They think her as a queer. Only the Elven kind was able to see what she's capable of. : 

__

: Then had she ever been in a relationship with them? : 

__

: Yes, as I was told, she fell in love with an Elven Lord. But he was murdered on the same night that her family went missing… and she remained single after that. : 

__

: I am very near The Burrow guys, : Fenix's mindvoice reached the lagging company. 

__

: Where are you? : Sirius cast his thought to his oathsister. 

__

: I'm standing beside a shed. : 

__

: Shed? What shed? The Weasleys' didn't have one… : 

__

: It smells new to me. And I think your 'howling friend' had used it recently. : 

The three canines finally reached the last hill and Sirius found out that Fenix had been right. They were already in the property held by the Weasleys' as The Burrow loomed ahead of them. Sirius trotted towards Fenix, where she sat regally on her haunches and watched with good-humor as Sirius pawed and sniffed at the ground. 

__

: You're right! That means Remus is at the Weasleys too! : He sent his delighted thought to the three wolves, suppressing the urge to howl like a wolf. He quickly changed back to his true form and quickly dusted off his clothes and tried to smooth his wind-tangled hair. Fenix however took her time in returning to her true form. Finally, she stood and watched the wolves, her face glowing healthily with the morning's exertion. Like Sirius, she was clad in black, in her Hunter mode. Her hair was tied back to a strict ponytail and highlighted her fierce, handsome face. Sirius gave an involuntary shiver. 

__

: Might I mention that your clothes really do contrast with your silver eyes, sister? : 

Fenix gave a disappointed sigh._ : Do I look that intimidating? :_

__

: Kind of. But only if you were not so short, : Sirius managed to jibe before she poked him at his rib. 

__

: Are you ready to make an appearance? : 

__

: Are you? : Sirius asked her back. 

__

: Ho, friend, wake up, : Fenix sent a thought to a slumbering Fire Mage. 

__

: What? Who is this? : He cast his sleepy thought back. 

__

: It is us…my lord of all the dentist in UK… : 

__

: Fenix! Where are you? : 

__

: We are at the shed, where you had contained a werewolf. If the boy is still asleep don't wake him up. Let's not spoil the surprise for the boy. : 

__

: All right! Yahoo! : 

Fenix and Sirius casually strode towards The Burrow, with the wolves trailing by their sides. Sirius was a bit surprised when a young woman with bushy hair ran towards them and flung herself at Sirius's neck and squealed with delight. The young woman finally let go of the amused man and gave a smile at Fenix. 

"Hello, Hermione. How was the red-haired boy? I hope the trunks didn't do any lasting damage," Fenix greeted the only child of the Grangers. 

"I think he's fine," Hermione breathed, and two happy tears streaked her cheeks. 

"Do you know how much we grieved for you, Sirius?" Mrs. Weasley, wrapped in her robe strode forward to give Fenix's oathbrother a hug. "Why did you took such a long time to let us know you were alive? You could have spared the rest of us trying to look for you _in-between_!" she babbled then unexpectedly burst into tears. 

"Now, Molly. Stop that," Sirius chided the plump woman gently. "I'm already back now, alive and safe and as you can probably see, I'm very healthy." 

"Do not give us such a heart attack next time, Sirius," Arthur pleaded, before giving his distant cousin a hug. 

"I don't intend for a next time, Arthur," the Black answered grimly, "how are the twins by the way?" 

"They're fine and profiting. They have gone to their joke shop early. Said that there is a demand for more Lemon-wakees, one of their latest invention," Mr. Weasley replied. 

Fenix watched the Weasleys' as they greeted the last of the Black. 

__

: This people treated him as one of their family, : Fenix observed. 

__

: Well, you know what they say about absence makes the heart grow fonder. It's true, : Silver remarked, as Fenix gave a nod, watching Sirius with a gentle smile. She shared his happiness as his relief and joy flooded through their bond. 

"Arthur, Molly, I would like to introduce you to a person that had saved my life more than once. This is Fenix Ruis Maxwell," Sirius paused as Fenix raised an eyebrow when he mentioned her middle name as well. "The Fire Master, Ally of the Wood and the Elves," and as an afterthought, "and my oathsister as well." 

**********

Harry was woken up early by the constant murmur of voices in The Burrow. He looked about the bedroom; his body propped up by his elbows. The twins were already out of bed and his best friend was already beginning to stir. 

"What in hell are they doing?" Ron's voice muttered sleepily. "Damn, I would really like to continue sleeping," Ron complained, turning over and sat up. He gave a loud yawn and stretched, then blinked curiously when laughter from somewhere down below reached the bedroom. 

"'Scissors, paper, stone' to get to wash up first," Harry whispered to the sleepy-looking prefect. 

"As you wish," Ron said and at the count of three, he shaped his fingers to resemble a pair of scissors while Harry went for a stone by fisting his fingers. 

"You've gotten yourself blunt!" Harry called to the dazed Weasley as he dashed out for the bathroom. 

"Oi! That's not fair!" Ron protested as he struggled to disentangle himself from the nice cocoon of blankets. 

"Don't you know that life isn't fair, mate?" Harry's muffled shout reached the still-struggling Weasley. 

"I'll get you, Harry!" Ron threatened furiously. 

"Not my fault!" He heard Harry's garbled reply as he set about brushing his teeth. Ron finally managed to free himself and ran towards the bathroom only to collide with Professor Lupin. 

"Why are you boys shouting early in the morning?" he asked curiously, popping his knuckles unconsciously. It seemed that Harry was not aware of Professor Lupin as he continued yelling from inside. 

"And you better stop being so predictable!" 

"Hey, Prof.?" Ron tugged at Professor Lupin's sleeve. 

"What?" 

"'Scissors, paper and stone' to get to wash up next," Ron offered. Harry opened the bathroom door and watched the wizard and student with interest. Professor Lupin gave a sulky sigh. Harry moved away from the door and watched as Ron counted a signal and gave 'stone' while Professor Lupin gave him 'paper'. 

"You're wrapped! I'm next!" and the middle-aged wizard slammed the bathroom door at Ron's astounded face. 

"You shouldn't have tried to cheat him," Harry said lightly to his best friend. 

"What?" 

"He had been watching Hermione teaching all the possible Muggle games carefully," Harry explained. "See you at breakfast!" 

Harry bounded down the stairs noisily, his face cheerful and feeling very much awake. He had not had time to feel surprise as he was enfolded in a very, very tight hug. _Huh?_ The young Potter looked about the kitchen curiously. Something out of place caught his eye amidst the Grangers' and the Weasleys'. A woman with a pair of peculiar silver eyes smiled at him gently. 

"He has Lily's emerald eyes…" The woman spoke softly, staring intently at Harry. 

__

Is that the Fire Master? And how did she know my mother? She doesn't look that old! Harry's mind whirled with confusing thoughts but somehow he realized the important truth. _Sirius…_

__

: Hello, Harry. I hope you aren't mad at me. : Sirius's mindvoice coursed gently in Harry's mind. 

__

: Sirius? : Harry's mindvoice was filled with incredulity and surprise. _: I'm not crazy, am I? :_ He stared blankly ahead of him, still hugged by his godfather._ : You're not really talking in my head, are you? :_

"Well, one thing for sure, brother-mine," the Fire Master spoke up, "he's got mindspeech; and pretty good at it too." 

Harry gave the strange woman an incredulous look. _Mindspeech? And why did she address Sirius as 'brother-mine'?_

"How could I have been so stupid to miss the obvious?" Sirius said, slapping one palm on his forehead. "He's able to communicate with snakes." 

"Ah…that explains his ability to talk and hear mind-to-mind…" Fenix smiled brightly. 

Sirius switched to a private mode. _: Would you forgive me? :_

Harry almost answered him but Fenix stopped him. She tentatively reached a link to Harry, and as he accepted it, he learned how to keep the silent conversations personal. 

__

: Go on, : Fenix ushered him. 

__

: It doesn't matter anymore. What matters most is that you're back alive, and you're with me. Just don't break your promise of letting me stay with you. : 

__

: So you do want me to be your full-time godfather, don't you? : 

__

: Yes. : Harry answered, his mindvoice so full of determination. He reached for Sirius again to give the older man a hug. 

__

: Sirius, what is your relationship with the Fire Master? : 

__

: Fire Master is quite a mouthful. Don't you think it's better if you call her Fenix? And to answer your question; what if I tell you that she's my girlfriend? : Sirius asked his godson slyly. Harry gave a critical look at his godfather before focusing his eyes on Fenix. 

__

: I don't believe that she has bad taste, : came Harry's reply. Suddenly they heard a strangled cough from somewhere behind Fenix. The Fire Master turned curiously and to Harry's horror, were two grown wolves. Harry would have been petrified if not for the fact that the two wolves were huddled closely together and acted as though they were laughing at Harry's observation. 

"Were you two eavesdropping?" Sirius demanded. Harry looked at the wolves with a bemused expression when the pair began to tremble and Harry knew they were laughing at Sirius as their laughter echoed in his mind. 

__

: You'll do all right, : said a voice, and the great silver wolf turned to meet Harry's eyes. _: I am Silver, and this is my mate, Wind. We're Fenix's bondmates. :_ The wolves introduced themselves to Harry and from the amazed expressions of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, they had probably heard the voice in their mind. 

__

: Fenix, isn't my girlfriend, : Sirius answered, darting a furious glare at the wolves, _: she's my oathsister. :_

At some unspoken signal, Fenix stood up from her seat and approached the wary Harry Potter. 

__

: This is my sister, Fenix Maxwell. Fenix, my godson, Harry. : 

Fenix tilted her head in acknowledgment._ : Hello, :_ she started shyly before continuing, _: I met your mother when I was in a bookstore. I was very tiny at that time and couldn't reach out for a book that I had wanted to buy. Your mother helped me without being asked. And as you can see, I am_ still_ short, :_ she said rather casually, and Harry had to smile. 

__

I guess I would have no problem communicating with her. I think I like her…She _was_ short. Harry estimated that she was several inches shorter than being five feet. 

__

: But don't let her size fool you, : Sirius warned his godson._ : She can snap you in two, if she has a mind to. :_

The momentary silence that had begun to fall was broken by a cheerful voice. 

"Morning, everyone! What's for bre--" Remus broke off. Everyone was expecting that Sirius would strike the man speechless but it was not true as Remus's hazel eyes widened when he met Fenix's unique silver eyes. Sirius glanced from Remus's thunderstruck expression to Fenix's blank face. He sniggered at their reaction. 

He intercepted their eye-lock by hugging his best friend, while Fenix blinked her eyes in amazement._ I feel as if I had been thrown into an ice-cold river…This must be his 'howling friend'…_ Sirius drew back and waited motionlessly at one side. Fenix stared at her oathbrother. 

"Name's Fenix," she reached out her right hand and Remus took it and firmly--without testing her-- shook it. 

"Remus Lupin," he answered, and he was lost into the depths of her eyes for the second time that morning. 

"Oh my," Ron observed from the stairs, arching his eyebrow and began to smile slyly at Professor Lupin's back. 

**********


	12. Down to Business

****

~ Chapter 12: Down to Business ~

Fenix was sitting on the wooden floor with the two wolves beside her, talking quietly to Ginny. "I've never been invited to a wizarding family's home before. Seems strange to me somehow," the Fire Master confessed to the youngest Weasley. 

"You'll get used to it," Ginny reassured the silver-eyed woman. "At least you aren't that old to adapt with the current situation." 

"There's that I guess," the Fire Master admitted. "Who is Professor Dumbledore? I did ask Sirius ever since Harry's birthday but his answers are very short. All I knew about the man is that he is the principal of your school and the head of _the_ secret organization." 

"That's all he told you?" Ginny asked incredulously, her eyes wide. 

"Yeah," Fenix replied, watching the profiles of Sirius, Remus and Harry with a gentle smile. Her attention on her oathbrother was broken when four simultaneous cracks pierced the air. She slowly got to her feet, her eyes intent on the front door. 

__

: What is it? : Sirius directed the question at her, but included Harry, Remus and the wolves in the conversation. 

__

: I think it's the Headmaster, : she sent her reply. She was still in her Hunter mode and flinched slightly when Severus Snape, Potions Master and Head of the Slytherin House crossed the threshold. 

__

: Isn't he complicated? : Fenix remarked to no one in particular. 

Snape's eyes swept the interior of the household and paused to scrutinize the Fire Master. His attention on her was only for a few seconds before dismissing her. The Potions Master kept his expression impassive when he turned to Sirius. 

"Sirius." Snape greeted him curtly. 

"Severus." Harry's godfather replied as brusquely. 

__

Funny, why am I feeling a fainter version of what I feel from the Dementors? Is this the evidence of what Sirius had told me about the Death Eaters? Fenix mused grimly. 

__

: Ah…Fenix? : A strange, shy-sounding baritone asked her. 

__

: Is it you, Harry? : She turned to look at Harry, who had stood up and his height was almost equal to Sirius. The young wizard gave her a slight nod in acknowledgment. 

__

: Have Sirius told you about Snape? : 

__

: Professor Snape, and yes he did, : Fenix corrected him almost absently, her eyes now intent to examine a man so weird-looking. She did raise an eyebrow slightly in amusement when the man made a tentative move as if to dislodge something away from him. She knew the Sylph by sight and by her dark blue hair. "Arenii, get off the poor man." Fenix instructed firmly. Someone gave a sigh from behind her as the Sylph giggled and gave the man a kiss on his cheek before vanishing. 

"She's totally out of control," the Air Mage complained futilely. "I don't know why Moody interests her so much. Sirius is far much more good-looking than he is," Mrs. Granger said aloud, ignoring Snape's scowl. She was far too busy looking at a blushing Sirius. 

"Of course, the Black is good-looking," a silky voice called out. "If only he isn't such a prig," and for a brief moment, Fenix's amber-haired Sylph made herself seen to the Unbelievers. 

"Oh!" Professor McGonagall gasped in surprise. Moody was so shocked that he turned pale all of a sudden. 

"I don't think the Sylph meant you any harm, Alastor," a calm deep voice said. Professor Dumbledore entered The Burrow, nodding his head at Sirius and gave Fenix a measuring look. 

"Fenix Maxwell," Professor Dumbledore began. 

Fenix replied coolly, "Albus Dumbledore." 

"Is there any room that we could use for an uninterrupted conversation, Arthur?" the Headmaster inquired and Mr. Weasley began to flush in embarrassment. 

Fenix tilted her head to one side and gazed at the group of wizards intently. "The living room will do," she said. 

"How dare you even suggest that! Muggles!" Snape spat out and she raised her hand to prevent her oathbrother from lunging towards the Potions Master. The Grangers looked angrily at Snape. 

Fenix gave looked directly into Snape's eyes. "Wasn't that your intent, Albus? To include me in the conversations?" she asked, staring impassively at the Potions Master. 

"It is still, but the presence of the students is not--" 

The Fire Master quickly interrupted him. "But the matter highly involves the students doesn't it? Especially since it's their safety we'll be discussing…among other important things," she pointed out. 

Professor Dumbledore peered down at the diminutive woman. Finally, he relented and casually set up protective spells about The Burrow. Each of the wizards contributed their own spells while the mages closed the gaps with their own runes. Only the Potions Master looked terribly displeased and refused to take a seat even after Mrs. Weasley offered him a chair. Hermione eagerly asked the Headmaster on the new school rules. 

"Letters will be sent to every student on the new rules that will be implemented on the new school term," Professor Dumbledore began, his eyes boring down on the still-stubborn Potions Master. "It will be less tiring for you if you were to sit, Severus," the Headmaster paused before resuming his sentence. "However, there are some rules that I have to highlight to you. You are all required to buy your books within a three-day period, with the fifth-years and above to go down the Alley, on the last day, which is--" Professor Dumbledore gave an inquiring look at Professor McGonagall. 

"Sixteenth of August," the Head of Gryffindor House supplied. The Headmaster nodded slightly. 

"Also, on the day that you are to congregate at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, you will go with an escort of at least one Auror," Professor Dumbledore informed them. 

"At least that way, we could hope that nothing disastrous happens to the students but the same cannot be said for the rest of the wizard family," Moody grated. 

"Great, now the students get to worry about more than just their studies," Ginny said wryly. 

"By the way, Sirius," the Headmaster peered significantly at Harry's godfather, "you have a hearing on the coming Tuesday." 

"What?" Sirius's head jerked up in surprise. 

"We do have to clear the things about you being an Unlicensed Animagus before you could start being _his_ godfather, don't we?" Professor McGonagall said in a condescending tone. 

"And what makes you so sure that the Ministry will let me off that easily?" Harry's godfather demanded. 

Fenix did not know if it was wise for her to speak up but she tossed her precautions to the wind. "Why would they want to sentence you again anyway? You've already spent twelve years in that wizard prison for something you did not commit." 

"You will be silent," Snape hissed. Fenix stared at the Potions Master calmly, but the same could not be said of her Elementals. The Salamanders who were very close to her began to wind themselves about her in agitation. _I wonder why he is being so abrasive._ Hermione tried not to stare at her. The young girl could not help but notice that her long hair behind her back was lifted high and was surprised that no one else noticed. Fenix smiled slightly at the young girl. 

"I don't think they want to perpetrate a mistake they could avoid. With luck, and a lot of fast talking, Minerva and I would help you clear your name," Professor Dumbledore said with a grim tone. 

Sirius looked at the Headmaster dubiously. 

__

: Don't worry, brother, even if that particular plan backfires, you are _still going to carry your duties. :_ Fenix reassured him, her mindvoice tinged with mischief. 

__

: Do you think it will be all right if I were to speak my mind? : Harry's familiar mindvoice filled her mind. She heard Sirius's reply to the boy. 

__

: Yes, you can. If it is important. : 

Harry first glanced at his friends, then took a deep breath and asked his first question to the Headmaster. "Do we have enough allies for The War?" 

Professor Dumbledore took a deep breath and looked into Harry's deep emerald eyes. "I do not know Harry, Bill's doing the best that he could in gaining some foreign wizards, but the--" 

"Too timid to join up," Moody finished the sentence for him. Ron looked disappointed while Hermione bit her lower lip. 

"It hasn't started right?" Ron asked timidly. 

"If it hasn't, it's just a matter of time," Moody replied, his magical eye watching Fenix continuously. It moved slightly as it watched Harry's head tilt to ask the Headmaster his second question. 

"Are you going to negotiate with the Fire Master for possible alliance?" 

The Headmaster looked slightly startled at Harry's blunt question. His surprise was quickly erased when Harry suddenly doubled up, hands clutching his head. Sirius quickly moved to his side, trying to pry Harry's hands apart. 

__

: Sirius, leave him! : Fenix sent her thought overlaid with sensations of a pounding head, and would have laughed at Sirius's alarm if she were not so affected by Harry's pain. 

"Harry! Are you all right?" Mrs. Weasley spoke up; her hand clutching her husband's tightly. 

Fenix got up from her seat and laid her hand on Harry's head. The excruciating pain that Harry was experiencing almost overwhelmed her. She drew her hand back to shield her mind completely, only opening her Healing channels and placed her hand back on his head. The wizards looked at her gesture warily. Slowly, Harry's breaths became calmer and he stopped struggling with himself. Only when he removed his hands away from his head did Fenix broke off the contact. 

"You used Healing didn't you?" 

"Yes." 

"What is it, Harry?" Professor Dumbledore asked, his eyes alert, while the other looked at the Fire Master with wary respect. 

"It's _him_. He's angry and he killed again. Three homeless Muggles and one wizard, don't really know his name." 

"Angry? What about?" Moody asked. 

Much to their amazement, Fenix answered. "_He_ had sent some Dementors to terrorize Harry's caretakers and the surrounding neighborhood. However, the Elves, all disguised, chased them away from the civilian area to the woods. I think _he_ had sent a scout to look for them and _he_ wasn't pleased at the scout's report--that could be the wizard _he_ killed." 

"What did the scout find? And what happened to the Dementors?" Ron asked curiously. 

"Professor Dumbledore," Ginny spoke up, "isn't that Fawkes?" she asked, pointing her finger at the window. The Headmaster strode out of The Burrow, his hand holding a _Daily Prophet_. On his shoulder, was a brightly, red-feathered bird. 

Several screeches were heard from the outside and Hedwig flapped into the house and dropped something to Hermione. It was also a copy of the _Daily Prophet_. She stared at the front page just as a flock of post-owls breezed through The Burrow with copies of the top wizarding newspaper. 

Fenix squeezed in right in between Sirius and Remus. She was caught by surprise when she saw movement on the newspaper. _It's just like a TV screen… _She caught Hermione's whispers that this was a special edition of the _Daily Prophet_. She paid careful attention to the title, 'Ghastly sights sets off hysteria in the Muggle community'. 

Mrs. Weasley suddenly screamed in fright, her face turning pale. Remus looked up from the paper inquiringly. 

"Those were Dementors!" she jabbed a finger at the front page. 

Professor Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and peered into the picture carefully. Ginny and Hermione gasped in horror and Fenix looked at the silent picture carefully. Comprehension dawned on her face and Sirius placed a comforting hand on her shoulder when uneasiness coursed through their bond. 

"That's sick, isn't it?" Ginny spoke softly. 

"How did the Dementors get themselves…ah…" Ron halted, frowning as though trying to think of an appropriate word. 

"Impaled?" Fenix said. 

Ron gave her a grateful look and continued. "Yeah…right…well…how did they get themselves lifted off to get impaled by the trees?" 

"Extremely curious," Professor Dumbledore agreed. One by one, they all resumed their seats. Now, Fenix shared a seat with Sirius, after silently informed him that she would like to stay near Harry. Professor McGonagall gave Sirius a look that they could not comprehend. 

__

: I think it's because she doesn't know that you're oathsibs, : Wind said helpfully in their minds. 

__

: I don't think that would occur to her right now. Our position sure indicates that we are something much more intimate, : Sirius responded._ :_ _Anyway, we could cover all the minor details later. : _Fenix silently agreed with her oathbrother. 

"Is there any explanation to this?" Professor Dumbledore asked her carefully. "Assuming you could." 

"Yes. The elves were not the ones who lifted the Dementors; they were merely herding them. The Trees moved on their own," she lifted her head slightly to look at Sirius. "It's strange. I'd thought _they _were an endangered kind. Didn't expect them to congregate in one place," she spoke to Sirius. 

"They're Mnids?" 

"Well, can you think of any other kind of trees that can do you harm?" 

"Yes," Ron replied absently. "The Whomping Willow did made a good job of battering me and Harry when we're second-year students." 

__

: Whomping Willow? : Fenix asked, her face puzzled. 

__

: Never mind that. This had just fell under the minor detail section. : Sirius answered her with a slight shake of his head. 

"Would you two stop doing that? It's rude," Moody suddenly spoke up loudly, startling them. 

"Were you talking to me, Moody?" Sirius asked mildly. 

"Yes," Moody grated, his magical eye spun in its socket again, "you and Fenix." 

"We'll be good," Fenix spoke up, her face impassive. Her friend was right. She exchanged a quick glance with the Air Mage, who was shaking her head, looking at her Sylph almost in desperation. 

__

: Arenii is seriously out of control, : Wind said, her amusement clear to Fenix. 

"I am surprised that the Dementors were still around. Maybe it's for the benefit of the wizarding media, I guess," Fenix pondered. Professor McGonagall gave her a look that encouraged Fenix to explain the matter further. "Usually, anything that offends them will lose their substantial form almost immediately. They usually do not display their killings." 

"Don't you think _he_ wouldn't try to burn them?" Snape mused, forgetting the fact that he was discussing the matter with 'Muggles'. 

"_He_ can try, but they themselves are magically and physically protected. Furthermore, this particular group are under the protections of the elves and the Gods," Fenix said and Snape gave her a disdainful glare. "_Seriously_," Fenix said almost in aggravation. "Just because you are skeptical about the existence of Gods, doesn't make everyone think the same as you do." 

__

: It is time for your kind to open your minds a little wider. You people have been incredibly naïve. : An implacable voice resounded deep in the minds of the Unbelievers. 

"Stop looking for enemies, Moody," Sirius warned the weird-looking wizard. "That was the great silver wolf. I am surprised that you had not noticed the pair as soon as you came in," then he paused as a thought occurred to him. 

"What are you talking about? I don't see any wolves!" Moody protested. 

Sirius stared meaningfully at the wolves. "Unless…they have been encouraging you to see something which is not really there." 

"Very quick brother," Fenix complimented him, and Sirius gave her an almost childish grin. 

Since their technique had been discovered, the pair of wolves dropped their illusions. Moody jumped; stumbling backwards as he saw the pile of firewood suddenly transformed into a pair of wolves. 

"They're harmless," Sirius chuckled then mercurially turned serious, "unless someone tries to either harm them or something innocent." 

__

: Let's all get down to business. Don't bother with formalities. It's getting tiresome, : Silver spoke up and turned to stare directly at Snape._ : And keep a lid on it. : _The youngsters exchanged a puzzled look between themselves, looking at Snape and then at the great silver wolf. 

"Very well," Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat and began. "There is this; we simply do not have enough people to negate anything that the Dark Lord will attempt in the future. The Ministry and I had discussed of the possibility of closing down the School but that way, it is very much dangerous to the students." 

"The Fair Ones are ready to help; some of the Elven Lords were aware of the Dark Lord's era back a century ago. They're long-lived creatures after all. However, all Mages are of two minds. I could assure you that none of the Mages would attempt to join in with the Dark Lord. The Elementals abhor him somehow. They would turn upon their Mages if they try to attempt that. It's cruel, but it is a safeguard. Let's just keep it to one kind of war. I don't think She could handle the complications of a blood bath plus the revolts of nature. But I will help," the Fire Master said. "It is absolutely imperative that I should do so," she continued, gazing intently at Harry now. 

"From what Sirius had told me, and from how these people_ feel_ about you, your survival is important to them. Including that one," she said, her eyes rested on Snape for a moment before swiftly returning to Harry's. "You're a hazard, much to yourself and everyone else. Really, Harry. Your mind's as leaky as a boat with no bottom. I'm surprised that you had remained sane after all these years or maybe… since the day you had first conversed with a reptile." 

Harry gulped and flushed slightly in embarrassment. The way Fenix was talking to him right now was almost mother-like. Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat to regain their attention. 

"I am glad that you had seen what a danger the boy could be if his mind remained exposed. Your magic is very different from ours, but the way you are shielding both of your minds seemed very effective. And I apologize if my actions seemed rude to you," the Headmaster's eyes lighted up with curiosity, "but I can't seem to penetrate the barriers you have erected." 

"That's the general idea, wasn't it?" Fenix said with a sly look in her eyes. 

"So it seems that your talents may prove useful to the students and the staff. Would you consent in being a staff in Hogwarts?" 

"To teach? Would I be of any use?" Fenix asked in bafflement. 

"Yes, if it does not trouble your Muggle occupation." 

"I'm self-employed actually. In a way, I am obliged to help you," Fenix said, her silver eyes mysterious. "I don't really know the reason, but it seems that duty is calling me." 

"So, you will come to Hogwarts?" Professor Dumbledore asked, his tone hopeful. 

"Yes." 

"Nevertheless, you wouldn't be handling the students alone. Remus, I loathe to burden you with this but there is no one else more suited for the position," the Headmaster said, looking pointedly at Remus. 

"If you think I'm good enough for the position, I will," Remus gave a heavy sigh. 

"Don't worry, Professor. You are the best Defense against the Dark Arts teacher," Ron cheered. "But this will be the very first time this position has ever been shared." the Prefect gave a sidelong look at the Potions Master who was glowering at Remus with hatred. 

"I think this is settled," Professor Dumbledore stood up. "I've got to stop by the School before going to the Ministry. I'm sure they wish to discuss this," he said, shaking the _Daily Prophet_ a little. "I'll come by again when it's time for your hearing, Sirius." 

**********

"I wonder how fast he can talk when he tells the authorities that a 'Muggle' would be teaching the students," Fenix mused, twirling a lock of her black hair, then turned to face the company still in The Burrow. 

"Don't worry, Fenix. The Headmaster has his ways," Mrs. Weasley said confidently. "My goodness! It's nearly noon! Oh dear! The twins would be coming home for their lunch! Oh dear!" Mrs. Weasley zoomed off towards the kitchen. 

"Mr. Weasley, is there any area that my wolves could rest?" 

"I don't think my wife would really mind them hanging out in the living room." 

"Do you think she would mind if they were to share my sleeping area?" 

"Are you sure?" 

"The stairs won't bother them." 

"It should be all right," he however had the look of wanting to say more but decided against it. 

Fenix carefully pulled Ron, Hermione and Ginny from Sirius, Remus and Harry. 

"Let's leave them together for a bit," Fenix whispered. She gave a hand signal to the Mages and they both shrugged, moving towards the kitchen. "Meanwhile, while they are having their own reunion, why don't you guys show me my sleeping quarters?" 

"Allow me," Ron said pompously, giving her a mocking bow and directed her towards the stairs. "If you would care to follow me?" he inquired as Ginny giggled at his ridiculous behavior. 

Except for Fenix and her bondmates, the others were panting slightly by the time they reached the landing. "An unobtrusive method to ensure you remain healthy," Fenix observed them clinically. ] 

"And this is where you and Sirius are going to sleep!" Ginny said cheerfully, opening the door and invited the silver-eyed lady in. Fenix raised her eyebrow slightly as she took in the color of the room. 

"Was this room yours?" she asked Ron pointedly. 

"Yeah," Ginny answered for him. "Mom had to cast an Engorgement Spell on the bed so it would fit you and Sirius. Our mother was rather expecting some kind of relationship but well since you're siblings…" the girl shrugged. 

__

: The bed is quite comfortable, : Silver approved, as he curled near the edge of the bed. 

__

: You're spoilt, dear. : Wind remarked. 

They children were looking expectantly at her. She gave them a grin. "It's fine. I had a room exactly the same color and the same number of furniture anyway." 

"That is quite a big bed wouldn't you say?" Sirius said, casually leaning against the doorframe. Harry and Professor Lupin were standing at the corridor. Sirius pushed himself off the doorframe, flung himself on the bed, and stretched. 

"Am I suppose to share this bed with you?" Sirius asked slyly. 

"Yes," she shrugged. 

"Drat. You're so small but I wonder how you could take up so much space; just like a cat." 

"You want a bigger sleeping space? Fine, you could sleep right here on the floor," Fenix said flatly and gave him a look that said _'One wrong phrase and you're it'_. Sirius chuckled gently. The two, who were loitering out of the bedroom, shuffled in and closed the door behind them. 

"So…" Remus began, looking pointedly at Sirius, "are you going to tell us what happened to you since The Duel?" 

Sirius sighed and sat up on the bed. "I wonder if there is something that we'll allow me to record down my narration…" Harry's godfather mused darkly. 

"Having second thoughts of me Healing you, brother?" Fenix questioned slightly. 

"Shut up." Sirius snapped, then his face turned helpless. "People are going to keep asking me that question won't they?" 

"You bet!" Harry grinned crookedly at his godfather. "You either tell your version or we'll set the twins on you." 

"And I could just imagine their twisted version in my mind, especially the little details about you and Fenix. I'm sure they would find your bond disappointing, so you can't really blame them if they were to make up their own conclusions, am I right?" Remus said with a gentle grin, taking up a seat on the bed. A distinct crack could be heard from out of The Burrow. All of them kept themselves silent as they waited. Fenix was now sitting on the window ledge looking at the group with amusement. Harry in the meantime conjured something and a bag plopped down onto his lap. He offered the paper bag to Fenix. 

She picked the bag up and peered curiously at its contents. She rummaged her fingers in the bag and took out a Chocolate Frog. All of a sudden, she yelped and lost her balance when two identical twins Apparated right in front of the window. The inevitable happened. 

**********


	13. OWLs!

****

~ Chapter 13: OWLs! ~

"Oh no…" Hermione stopped, and cringed when Sirius looked belligerently at the twins. 

"Bloody hell," Fred whispered, his eyes were tightly shut, afraid to look at Sirius or at the window. 

__

"Couldn't you guys just climb the stairs like everybody else?" Fenix's unmistakable voice emerged from the open window. 

"Thank you, Merlin!" George heaved a huge sigh of relief. 

"Don't just stand there!" Fenix narrowed her eyes, as sweat trickled down her neck. "Using sheer mind magic to keep myself aloft is no easy task!" the twins hurriedly caught both her hands and helped the small woman back into the bedroom. 

"You must be Remus's assistant! I'm Fred, and this is my brother, George," he introduced themselves and the twins gave her a florid bow. 

__

Whack! Sirius delivered a mind blow to Fenix and the twins. Fenix shot an angry look at Sirius who looked back at her innocently. 

"Why in hell did you do that?" Fenix stepped forward, her silver eyes staring icily at her oathbrother. 

"Do what?" Sirius blinked his eyes innocently. 

"Remus, would you please get off the bed?" Fenix advised the puzzled Professor. He hastily got out of the way when Fenix stood near the edge of the bed while the rest looked warily. 

"Are you absolutely sure they're not a couple?" Ginny whispered urgently to Hermione. The bushy-haired Granger confidently nodded her head. 

"Don't take me for a fool, Sirius," Fenix said softly. "I may be irrational at times but I'm not a fool. You think I couldn't trace the link back to you?" her fingers suddenly shot out to grab a piece of Sirius right arm. 

"_OUCH!_ Dear God woman! Why must you always resort to pinching?" Sirius jerked out from her reach. 

"Because that's the best weapon a woman can have." 

"I don't think a pinch would be of any use to the Dark Lord or the Death Eaters," Ron muttered. 

"Do you think so?" Fenix gave a grim smile. "What if I were to clench my mind upon a beating heart?" Ron stared mutely at her. "I am a Healer too…" she reminded him. 

"And the Death Eaters are still mortals," Harry replied absently. Fenix raised an eyebrow at the green-eyed boy. 

"Aren't we feeling bloodthirsty today," the Fire Master said blandly. Harry just shrugged, popping a Chocolate Frog into his mouth. She turned back to Sirius. 

"You shouldn't let your emotions get the better of you," she said gently. "Nothing could happen to me unless it is time," she sat down beside Sirius, leaning against a wall covered with giant posters. 

"Is it safe for me to sit now?" Remus asked Fenix politely. 

"Yes, I don't bite, you know, unless if I go wolf," Fenix replied casually, then raised an eyebrow at her oathbrother. "Well, why don't you get started first and then they can have a go. There must have been things happening around since you got yourself stuck." 

Remus gingerly sat himself near the Fire Master and tried to restrain his wandering eyes. For no apparent reason, he found himself severely attracted by the woman's unique pair of eyes. Sirius began telling the company of what had happened to him since he fell into the archway, with the natural talent of a storyteller and Remus raptly listened to his friend's narration. Occasionally, Fenix would insinuate several things but she kept quiet most of the time. Then the students and Remus filled in what had been happening since Sirius's 'demise'. 

"Hermione's father said that you could kill those Dementors without the aid of the Elementals," Harry said, his green eyes tinged with a bit of amazement. 

Fenix narrowed her eyes slightly. "Yes…" she gave an encouraging look at the youth. 

"So how did you do it?" Harry asked urgently and she smiled at his enthusiasm. 

"You're a little too young to have those kind of thoughts you know," Fenix informed him with a faint smile. Several snorts erupted from all around, including her bondmates. 

"So are you going to tell them or do you just want to sit there and look mysterious?" Sirius teased her, his face bearing a bored expression. 

"_Sirius_," Fenix said warningly to her oathbrother. 

"What are you going to do? Turn me into a toad?" 

"Nope. I'm going to turn you into a flying cockroach instead." 

Remus carefully contained his mirth and cleared his throat. "So how did you eliminate them?" 

"I'll get you later." Fenix gave a sidelong look at her oathbrother and answered the question. "The ingredients are simple: hope, love and Life. The Dementors can't really understand these human emotions. But of course, when one gets a glimpse of them, the natural emotion that is fear always overwhelm the other emotions. That's how humans like us can fall prey to them easily. They fear one thing, to cease existence. I may be digressing but I think this can be quite useful," Fenix paused to massage her shoulder. 

"The elves are resistant to them because they are magic and protected by something other than themselves. The other thing is that they are immortal… well not quite," she gave a little frown. "Elves have much longer life span compared to humans, like they could still be hurt by a sharp blade and may die from it. Returning to the subject, another method to exterminate these Dementors is to get a sacred knife. The swords the elves use are something like the ancient tools of the Celts. But of course, they were the ones whom created the ancient tools in the first place. One reason why I'm immune is because I've experienced Death over and over again. They don't understand why I could be so willing to die and embrace Death," Fenix said and her eyes took on a distant look. 

Sirius gave a blank look at her. _Is that why she's named Fenix? It must be… she is a Phoenix after all…_

"I used all of these information and amplified it in my mind and forced the Dementors to…well the most accurate thing I would say is that I let it glimpse through my life, duties and Death. In short, I simply overloaded their beings." 

"Hah! Got themselves fried by their own specialty!" Hermione snorted. 

Harry suddenly stood up, took Sirius's right hand, and slowly turned the palm upwards. A strange silver five-pointed star gleamed palely. Fenix smiled and held out her own palm for them to see. 

"A mark of our oathbinding," she explained. 

"So you are kin now…I wonder what we're going to do later," Ginny abruptly changed the subject. 

"I thought it was already obvious," Fenix answered the girl, exchanging a brief glance with Remus. 

"Lessons?" Hermione squealed out delightfully. 

"Yes," she answered brightly. And you get to teach me too. You people ought to tell me what to expect from Hogwarts, before I manage to do something foolhardy." Fenix said then gave Harry a penetrating look. "However, Harry must learn to shield his mind immediately. Why don't you kids find something to do while I discuss how we are going to do this with the Professor?" 

"You mean we have to learn _that_ too?" Ron asked dubiously. 

"Yes, that way, you guys can always practice together. Although, I seriously don't think you will need to," Fenix said casually to Ron, "your mind's naturally blocked." 

"Maybe that's why he can be a little thick sometimes," Fred muttered to his twin. 

Ron's ears turned red and he growled under his breath. "I heard that…" 

One by one the youths got out of the bedroom, and the wolves followed them out, and left the adults staring at themselves. 

"Do you always look this tired, Remus?" Fenix began softly then turned her head swiftly at the door. 

__

: Is there by any chance those kids have created something that would allow them to listen to our conversations? : Fenix asked the two men with a bemused smile hovering on her lips. 

__

: Ah…The Extendable Ears, : Remus began, easily communicating using mindspeech._ : Almost had forgotten about this little invention of theirs. :_ He looked curiously at the two who was staring at him in amazement. 

"What?" Remus asked in irritation. 

"How are you able to…" Sirius began, tapping his index finger on his forehead. 

"I was listening to the wolves pretty carefully, and got the knack of it. But you will show me the ways of this communication, won't you?" He requested, looking at Sirius. 

From the corridor, they could hear Fred's voice demanding. "What in the world are they talking about?" 

"Shhhhh! Keep your voice down dummy!" Ginny's voice said. 

__

: Don't look at me, Moony. Ask her, she's the expert, : Sirius hooked his arm around Fenix, holding her tightly. 

__

: Gods, Sirius! Is this how siblings should be behaving? : Her mindvoice sounded a little annoyed. _: I feel like I'm your girlfriend! :_

__

: Well, you were my friend first before you became my kin… : Sirius said lightly, raking his fingers to mess her long hair. _: Actually, I wouldn't really know. Never had a female friend this close before, : _then he pouted._ : If you don't like me then, you could always hang around Moony there. :_

__

: Serves you right, : Fenix wriggled from his embrace to sit side by side with Remus. _: He has much more sense than you to do anything inappropriate to me. :_

Remus smiled wickedly, his left arm began snaking about her shoulders and was a little surprised by his own actions. Fenix had automatically leaned against him. Remus smiled gently, looking at her head. _It feels good holding her…but of course…I had been spending most of my childhood with the two most notorious boys…_

Fenix was not even aware of her own actions until she sighed contentedly and her eyes focused at Sirius's grinning face. _Dear Sungod!_ Fenix was aware that she was blushing as she felt the heat rise to her face. She took a moment to examine the situation. _It feels right to be held by him_, she thought dreamily. 

__

: Back to my question then, : Fenix began, not even moving her head._ : Why are you looking so careworn? :_

__

: It's the transformations, I believe. However, I don't think it's all that's affecting my health. How much do you know about werewolves? : Remus answered her. 

"I can't hear a single thing," it was Fred. "Are you sure, these are not defectives?" 

__

: Harry, : Fenix reached a thought to the boy. She felt a jerk of surprise then a tentative_: Yes? :_

__

: Are you with the twins? : 

__

: No, I'm in the kitchen, : his mindvoice echoed in her mind, tinged with perplexity. 

__

: Would you mind telling them not to bother listening in? We're using Mindspeech. It's easier to communicate with this. If I could not find words, I could always show images, : for an instant, she showed Harry how she had shielded his mind for him. 

After a moment, Harry answered. _: Looks pretty complicated. Anyway, I'll get them to come down to the kitchen. :_

__

: Thank you! Where are the wolves? : 

__

: They're inspecting the kitchen I guess… I couldn't think of any other reason the way they're examining the magical stuff about. : 

__

: Oh, I see. : Fenix released her link with the boy. 

__

: Sorry, : she lifted her head to look at Remus sheepishly. The wizard regretfully let his arm fall from her shoulder. _: I don't really know much about a werewolf except that this occurs every time it is a full moon. Is there a cure for that? :_

__

: Before I was stuck in prison there wasn't. I think they have concocted a potion to prevent the transformation or something that would make them less dangerous, : Sirius informed his oathsister, his fingers tracing the scar on his palm absently. 

__

: Now I get it! : Fenix spoke up, her exaltation clear in her mindvoice._ : Your natural defense system is rejecting them. To it, your transformation is the normal thing to occur--:_

__

: While the potion is regarded as an invader? : Remus hazarded. Fenix reached out a hand to touch his arm. Her eyes went distant as she Looked into his body system. She gave him a thorough check-up before continuing her sentence. 

__

: It seems so. How many years had you been taking the potion? : 

__

: Near to five years. : 

__

: That's a hell lot of residue to burn up. It's going to take a lot of Healing and water to clear them up. The next full moon will be on…next Friday. Don't fight it this time. Your own transformation will help clear up the toxic effects of the drug. : 

__

: I'll be here to help, : Sirius said in determination. 

__

: We'll also be there, : Wind's soft mindvoice penetrated their thoughts. 

__

: Fenix, how is it that they are able to listen in? : Sirius asked, his irritation turning his link to Fenix a subtle brown color. 

__

: It's a peculiarity of theirs. I have my own suspicions as to whether they are really wolves or something else. : 

"All right, we've solved Moony's little problem. Now how do we handle the big one?" Sirius asked, as he looked under the bed and pulled out a trunk. 

"How do the wizards shield their minds?" Fenix began, helping Sirius to drag the other trunk and opened it. She helped Sirius unpacked some of their stuff while listening to Remus carefully. 

"They usually do so by Occlumency. Snape-- he is the one with greasy black hair-- tried to teach the boy. Either Harry had simply refused to listen to him or Snape was teaching Harry in a way the boy couldn't comprehend we would never know," Remus began as Fenix cocked her head to one side and examined the mental images and flavors that he showed her. 

__

: You're excellent in mindspeech, : Fenix congratulated him._ : But the means you showed me seem very convoluted. :_ Then her face turned thoughtful and Remus stared in surprise at what she was holding in her hand and stared wild-eyed at her hand when the sword vanished. 

"Was that _the dagger_?" Sirius asked curiously. "It looked bigger somehow. " 

Fenix shook her head. "No, that was my sword." 

"Merlin's beard! Are you keeping something from me?" Sirius demanded. 

"Don't be alarmed. It's just one of my responsibilities as a Hunter. You ought to know just by the name what my alternative occupation is." 

Sirius shook his head in disbelief, as he hung a black suit on a hanger. 

__

: Well, I think only Harry could learn how to shield using my method. Ginny, she however is susceptible to invasion. And you want to know something, : Fenix spoke up, catching the attention of both men. _: I can't imagine what or how I'm going to teach the students. :_

__

: Don't worry, I'll think of something. Somehow, it seems to me that you are able to duplicate all the hexes and jinxes even without a wand. I think you would be able to show the students something on the process. : 

__

: Isn't he being cryptic? : Fenix asked Sirius. 

__

: Never mind. I know I'm babbling. Maybe when we first teach the company here, you'll get the idea of what I'm talking about, : Remus said, standing up. 

__

: Speaking of wands, have you seen mine, Fenix? : 

__

: It's in the black box where I've wrapped it with the dagger,_ :_ she answered. 

__

"Oh no!!!" Hermione's voice shrieked out shrilly. 

"What is it this time?" Remus asked in annoyance. 

"There's only one answer to that," Sirius said impassively, tucking his wand in his pocket. 

"What?" Fenix asked curiously. 

"It's the Ordinary Wizarding Level results," her oathbrother answered, opening the door for both of them. 

"That sounds strangely familiar," Fenix mused as she walked down the stairs unhurriedly. "It sounds like O' levels in the…Muggle world. Now I understand Hermione's reactions. I didn't even want to look at my exam results when I got the certificate." 

"Oh…so how did you fare?" Sirius asked from behind. 

"I only peeked at my results when I got home. Didn't flunk anything…" Fenix answered. Sirius snorted derisively. Fenix almost casually gave Sirius a mind-slap that his head went ringing for several seconds. 

**********

Ginny looked at the three students. Mrs. Weasley was getting excited by the moment. 

"Oh…come on now Ron…surely you did no worse than _those two_…"Mrs. Weasley pleaded excitedly. 

"Hermione, why don't you go first?" Ron whispered. 

__

"I'M NOT!" the young woman wailed. 

"Man…isn't she nervous?" Fenix muttered as they all gathered in the kitchen. Fred passed her a glass of pumpkin juice that she sipped carefully. _How curious…never in my life did I ever use pumpkin for juices…not bad…not bad at all…_

"The sooner you look at your results dearest, the more time you can use to brood over what electives you want to take once school starts," Mrs. Granger squeezed her daughter's shoulder in comfort. 

"You have to make your decisions by Monday, I'm afraid," Professor Lupin looked apologetically at the three students. 

"What?" Hermione yelped, looking at the Professor with round eyes. She quickly grabbed her envelope and ripped off its seal. 

"What am I going to do…what am I going to do?" Hermione muttered, shakily getting her certificate out. Mr. Weasley peeked at her results while he handed her a very bulky package. 

"Congratulations, Hermione! I believe this package contains all the necessary advise to help you make your decisions," Mr. Weasley gave her a kind smile. 

"Well boys," Mr. Weasley looked down at Harry and Ron who were looking at the envelopes with varying degrees of trepidation. 

__

: Harry, don't keep us in suspense! : Sirius complained. 

Ever since the beginning of summer, Harry was determined more than ever to become an Auror. _But am I qualified enough? And more than that…can I tolerate Snape for two more years? Huh, if I can't, maybe I'll have a chance in the national Quidditch teams…_

Harry was the next one to rip off the seal and Sirius peered down his shoulder to look at his godson's results. What Harry saw in the certificate made him feel as if someone had knocked him silly with a bludgeon. _I received an 'O' for Potions? It couldn't be…the Potions paper was tough…how could I even get an 'O'?_

"Yo guys?" Fenix waved her hands repeatedly at Harry and Sirius. The young wizard looked blankly at her. "What's wrong? You really looked like your head's smacked right against a board." 

"I think there must be some kind of mistake…I can't have gotten an Outstanding grade for Potions…." 

__

"WHAT MISTAKE BOY?" Harry's certificate suddenly screeched in indignation. _"THERE AIN'T NO MISTAKES IN YOUR GRADES. YOU EITHER BELIEVE IT OR NOT!!!"_ The certificate then calmed itself and returned to its original state. 

Fenix took the certificate and read his grades softly. 

****

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
** Student: Harry Potter**   
** House: Gryffindor**   
** School: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

** O.W.Ls**   
  


**_Care of Magical Creatures_** **E**   


**_Charms_** **E**   


**_Defense against the Dark Arts_** **O**   


**_Divination_** **A**   


**_Herbology _** **E**   


**_History of Magic_** **A**   


**_Potions _** **O**   


**_Transfigurations _** **E**   


** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**   
O-Outstanding   
E-Exceeds Expectations   
A-Acceptable   
P-Poor   
D-Dreadful   
** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

"Unbelievable," the twins muttered. 

"Well done!" Sirius cheered. 

"I guessed he achieved more Distinctions than I ever had during the course of my studying…" 

"You mean in gaining your Master level?" Hermione asked. 

"No…I mean in Muggle studies…" Fenix corrected. 

"We don't have schools like you, Hermione," her mother explained. "We're apprenticed to a Master, or to other Mages when there's no Master close enough to teach us." 

Harry was still a bit stunned. Ron had handed the envelope to his mother, covered his face with both his palms, and feared for the worst. Mrs. Weasley's eyes watered instantly. She dropped to her knees and hugged Ron tightly. 

"You make us so proud!" she gushed, while Ron turned scarlet. 

"Merlin's beard!" George swore as he looked at Ron's certificate. 

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Fred said in a skeptical voice. 

"Stop that! He's your brother and you should be proud of him!" Mrs. Weasley yelled. 

"We are mom!" the twins protested in defense. 

"Do you think Professor Snape will accept us?" Hermione piped up, looking questioningly at Professor Lupin. 

"Should have known what you were thinking…" Sirius grinned at Harry and the boy returned a tremulous smile. Mrs. Weasley however turned a cold stare at Sirius. Then she turned to Harry; her eyes looked at his almost in a plea. 

"There are other occupations, Harry. More high-paying jobs and much safer…" she began but Harry shook his head. 

"It's all right, Mrs. Weasley. I've thought about this for years now," he said confidently to her. She was about to make a further protest when Mr. Weasley interrupted her. 

"It you're really determined, none of us will stop you. But it isn't going to be an easy road, and judging from my own son, he seems determined for it too!" 

Mrs. Weasley looked helplessly at the three youths. "Just think about it again…" 

Harry looked back at his certificate. _Hermione's right…even if I did get an 'O' I doubt that Snape would accept me for his NEWT class…all I could do now is just apply and see if I'm accepted…_ Harry blinked, suddenly feeling cheerful. _I have Sirius back, who is alive and happy, isn't lonely or bored because of Fenix, and I had managed to best Hermione in at least one subject…_

"Hey, guess what Hermione?" Harry began as he stood up. 

"We got through the OWLs…we did it…WE DID IT!" Ron cheered, giving his best friend a tight hug and absently kissed the shorter Hermione on the top of her head. 

"How sweet…" Mrs. Granger smiled. 

"I think the term is cloying…" Fred smirked. 

"Be nice." 

**********


	14. Impregnable Barriers

****

~ Chapter 14: Impregnable Barriers ~

They held a celebration that night, dining on Asian dishes that Fenix had superbly prepared and on top of that, delicious chocolate pudding. They retreated to the living room as Fred conjured mugs of Butterbeer for everyone, but Fenix strangely declined the proffered mug, so George conjured her a big glass of mango juice upon her request. The three going-to-be-sixth-years students were sprawled on the wooden floor, carefully reading the handouts that were given to them. Harry had already partially filled in his form; mainly his particulars and he had already ticked on the subject 'Defense against the Dark Arts'. Sirius had advised the three of them to take their time to read the handouts. 

Fenix, out of sheer curiosity, sat next to Harry, looking through at all the leaflets. She read the details on the pamphlet on Healing. "Funny, you people use magic in Healing." 

"Your Healing is a form of magic isn't it?" Sirius asked her lazily. 

"Well…yes…I suppose…but you people make potions…for example to grow bones…I use my life-energy." 

"Each to his own, I guess…" Sirius responded. 

"All right, children!" Mrs. Weasley called out. "Better go to bed!" 

"But mom!" Ginny protested, "we're holiday-ing!" 

"Molly, go easy on them…" Mr. Weasley said gently but his wife firmly shook her head. 

"They need their rest and they better get their biological clocks upright again. School term's coming soon and they better get used to waking up on time," she stated and looked at each of the youths, twins included. "Be up at seven-thirty. I want you down by eight. Is that understood?" 

Ron sighed as he began to stock away the pamphlets back in the package. The staircase was filled with murmurs of conversation as the youngsters unwilling went to bed. "And no chit-chatting!" Mrs. Weasley warned them. The four parents took their leaves from the rest of the company to retire. Sirius had changed into his nightclothes while Fenix had washed up and wore something much more normal than her Hunter gear. She wore a blue short-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of Bermuda shorts, to reveal nice, shapely and muscular calves. 

"We have to do something about your wardrobe," Remus said thoughtfully. 

"Hmmm?" Fenix inquired as she scratched Silver's neck. 

"You can't really wear Muggle clothes in Hogwarts…" 

"Why not?" 

"Because you will stand out, sister. Even if you're too short to be noticed by anyone bigger than you," Sirius said, stretching against the couch. 

"I get your drift, there aren't too much people who are fond of Muggles…but wearing something like the…I think her name's Professor McGonagall…it really takes a hell lot of fun out of running," Fenix complained. "And a hell lot more harder to move around silently…" 

__

: Just go into your full Hunter mode, : Wind suggested. _: You'll look impressive, and intimidating enough that no one would dare to get into trouble with you--unless they're crazy of course, to take an opponent they don't know anything about--and your Hunter gear's strange enough not to be mistaken as Muggle clothes. :_

Fenix thought about the suggestions of the female wolf carefully. "It's plausible, and I would be a lot more comfortable in being me than try to act like something else." 

Remus nodded his head. "But it would be best if you come prepared with something…witchy-like…just in case…" 

"All right…maybe I'll get Mrs. Weasley to help me…" she answered, sitting closely to the werewolf. All the while, she had been Healing Remus bit by bit. Now as the full moon was drawing closer, Remus's health had deteriorated. It was tough work but she could not suppress the feeling that he needed help so she gave it to him. 

__

: I don't think he realizes what you're doing to him, : Sirius whispered in her mind, as he engaged a conversation with the other man. 

__

: That's good…keep talking to him, : Fenix replied. 

__

: You're attracted to him aren't you? : He suddenly asked and she felt her insides churned uneasily inside her. He gave a silent chuckle in her mind. 

__

: That was the first time ever that I had just saw someone being slapped with that love-at-first-sight nonsense. : 

__

: Whatever. Are you coming to bed with me or are you sharing with Remus? : 

__

: Why don't you go and share a bed with him? : Sirius asked her teasingly. 

__

: That's not a bad idea actually. : She answered and gave him a lofty look. _: That way I could Heal more of him. :_

__

: If you're serious… : Sirius then suddenly broke off his conversation with Remus and asked the man if he would stay close to Fenix through the night. Remus flushed slightly while Fenix stared at Sirius impassively._ Serves you right if I do choose to turn you into a cockroach…_

__

: Better not…you'll be sure to squash him with a broom… : Silver advised her. Fenix snorted. _He deserved it…_

__

: So how about it? : Fenix asked Remus, her face immobile. He blushed even harder. 

"Aren't you joking?" Sirius asked her in bewilderment. 

"No…I am damn serious." She answered, staring intently at the Professor's light brown eyes, looking confusedly back at her. She got up, strode to the kitchen to pour Remus a glass of water, and handed it to him. 

"What I would do won't rid you of the curse or blessing of the moon, this would help leech away the deleterious residuum in your body. If we do this for the next several nights, I think your transformation would be less painful for your body and your mind," Fenix spoke quietly, as the two men listened carefully to her words. 

__

: We'll just try it for one night, but you will be sleeping between us both, : Sirius said firmly. 

__

: I thought you said you'd be sleeping in Remus's? : Fenix asked archly. 

__

: I lied. There's no way I'm going to let my friend sleep with my sister alone. : 

__

: What say you? : Silver asked the slightly confused werewolf. 

__

: Just for one night… : he answered dubiously. 

**********

__

These two blokes really took their time in getting to sleep…Fenix thought to herself, watching the two slumbering form at each of her sides in the pale moonlight that entered the bedroom. She reached out and took Remus's hand in hers. The werewolf jerked slightly but the contact had not awakened the man._ I hope he doesn't have his wand in handy…Nice thing to happen first thing in the morning if he instinctively blow us off…maybe I should built a protective shield later._

__

I wonder what's the time now…when we went up it was eleven…since my naps are short…it's probably two in the morning. The two wolves were curled up on the floor where she had made a pallet for them to sleep in, breathing steadily. She let her Sight guide her to the man's deeper anatomies and began her work, carefully dissolving the impurities to be dislodged and to be excreted as waste. 

It was slow work, but she felt a little satisfaction as she listened to Remus's breathing. _His breathing seems clearer now…maybe a little exercise would be good for him._ Fenix felt the world slowly turn as it came nearer to dawn. 

__

: Krill? : 

__

: Yes, lady? : 

__

: What time is it? : 

__

: It's three thirty-nine. : 

__

: Thank you. : 

There was one thing she ought to do before she let herself drift off to sleep, still holding Remus's hand. Within her mind, she sought out the link of Aldren's mind. _I hope he isn't on duty…_

__

: Finally! : Aldren's mindvoice said in her mind, tinged with relief. 

__

: Sorry, I took so long to call on you. We're there by the way. Are you on patrol now? : 

__

: I'm taking the dawn watch today. So everyone's all right then? Where's Sirius? : 

__

: Yes, we're all fine. Most of us are already deep in slumber…except me of course, : she answered with a small smile. _: Sirius's beside me by the way…and I'm certainly one lucky woman tonight…I've got two men sleeping beside me. :_

__

: So the Elementals told me. Is the potion for werewolves really that_ harmful? :_

__

: I don't really know. This could be just an isolated case but it might not be. Oh yes, I wouldn't be coming home for quite a while. : 

__

: Yes, we already know. Father sends you his love by the way…I think he wants you to visit the Grove when you can…preferably with Sirius, his godson and your…fiancé_… :_

__

: Aldren! : She protested, while the elf laughed throatily. 

__

: Giselle's thinking of getting herself transferred to any clinics or hospitals here; she and my brother are becoming really inseparable. : 

__

: That's good…You better get your rest…be careful all right? : 

__

: All right Winterstar… you do the same… : 

The night was silent. Fenix had thought that Aldren had released his link but she heard his mindvoice again. 

__

: Sirius is lucky to have you as his oathsib. I wished we could have been something much closer but I knew you loved my cousin…and now I do not wish to contaminate our friendship with bad memories…but I still have to confess Fenix…I loved you and I still do…but your love for me is much different than what I wanted…but it is the truth…I do love you, : Aldren whispered sadly in her mind. Fenix was speechless, her throat constricting and she felt despair from her own heart and from Aldren's. 

__

: Do not feel sad about it…I want you to be happy…if you find happiness in the man that you're Healing…then I'm happy… : Aldren quickly released their link, leaving Fenix to contemplate his words. Fenix rubbed at her temple tiredly, trying to swallow down the knot in her throat. It was no use and she lay still on the bed, silently crying. Sirius suddenly turned to face her, lying on his side. _I hope he's asleep…_

Sirius was not. The bond between them had strengthened and he was aware of her slightest change of mood. He tenderly caressed her cheek, comforting her. He moved closer to her, and she instinctively buried her face in his chest. 

__

: You heard? : 

__

: Yes. : 

Fenix slowly let her barriers drop, weeping silently against his chest, not letting go of Remus's hand. Sirius gently stroked her hair and encouraged her to tell him what had caused her sudden sorrow. She told him in images of what had happened on the night that she turned eighteen. She introduced Sirius to images of her parents and of a lover, an elf, cousin to Aldren. She showed Sirius how the three of them died to protect her from a deliberate murder. 

__

: It was a difficult time for Giselle and me. She had to work so I had told her that I would be fine and I would live with my friends…it was she who introduced Aldren to me and he recognized me being his cousin's lover. My mentor, a friend of my mother's, was worried about me and had sought the help of the Elves. That's how I became really involved with the Elves. Aldren's father, Mineif had adopted Luis and he took me under his wing and finished my education, : she fell silent, as Sirius held her until she fell asleep. But Aldren's words haunted her in her sleep, and she felt somehow that something very wrong would happen. 

**********

Dawn came, and Fenix woke up, held by Sirius and she still held Remus's hand. The terrible feeling of premonition did not go away. Instead, it had intensified. She sat up and got from the bed as unobtrusively as she could. She took her towel and was surprised to see Harry outside the bedroom. 

__

: Fenix, I think you have to teach me shield my mind as soon as you can. : Harry said, his eyes looking deeply into her eyes. 

__

: Why don't you wait in the kitchen? I wish to bathe. : 

Harry nodded and waited restlessly in the kitchen and played with Crookshanks to distract his mind from the troubled sleep he had been having. About fifteen minutes later, Fenix came down wearing a long skirt with a white blouse that made her look unearthly. His skin prickled uneasily. 

__

: What's wrong? : She asked the boy as she prepared a bit of breakfast. 

__

: It's my dreams…they don't make sense but I do not know why I keep feeling a sense of foreboding. : Harry gulped down his fresh orange juice. 

__

: We'll eat something first and then we'll start our lessons. To tell you the truth Harry, my dreams were plagued by the same feelings. : 

**********

The rest were still in bed and the two people took to the living room. 

__

: This is relatively easy. I do not know how exactly Professor Snape taught you but the basics are important. You first have to empty yourself of all thoughts and emotions. Think you could do that? : 

__

: I should be able to. : 

Harry gave her a nod when he felt that the objective had been accomplished. _: All right then. You could just close your eyes. The first thing we are going to do is to find your ground and center. So, this is how it is done. :_

By the time that Harry had solidly connected his ground and his center, Mrs. Weasley was already out of bed. She had not bothered them after first seeing Fenix's stern expression and Harry's trance-like manner. Next, the Fire Master showed Harry how to spin himself a web, how to make it strong and flexible. It had taken them most of the morning for Harry to master the technique of shielding his mind successfully without her help. 

**********

Professor Lupin was testing Harry's shield against with his Legilimency spell. No matter what he did, trying to use his wand or mindspeech, he could not get through Harry's tough barrier. 

"What if Harry's talking in mindspeech and _he_ tries to go through? Would _he_ succeed?" Professor Lupin fretted. 

"You have to test it then, Sirius you talk to Harry while Remus tries to ram him with the Legilimency thingy…" Fenix instructed as she watched Harry. 

"Don't concentrate too hard, Harry. Just relax and take it easy. No point in getting yourself a blinding headache," she advised. 

Professor Lupin tried several ways to break into Harry's mind when Professor Dumbledore Apparated in The Burrow. 

"I didn't know you would start to train him this early," the Headmaster looked curiously. 

"Actually, I didn't expect Harry to take on the techniques so easily," Fenix informed the Headmaster. 

"Would you test him? You're the better expert," Professor Lupin moved away to stand beside Fenix. 

It took about half an hour before the Headmaster proclaimed his satisfaction that Harry could now control his mind from outside influence. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and sank down onto the floor in exhaustion as the Headmaster exchanged a few words with Mrs. Weasley before Apparating out of the household. 

"Exhausting work, wasn't it?" Remus wiped his forehead. 

"I feel like my head's been crammed with information of ten history books," Harry groaned and Ginny gave him several packets of Chocolate Frog to revive a bit of energy. 

Fenix sat down on a wooden stool, fanning her face with her hand. _The feeling of impending doom is still there…_Fenix sighed and looked blankly at Remus's back, and brooded about her sense of premonition. It seemed to her that Aldren was at its center. 

***********


	15. A Day Full of Surprises

****

~ Chapter 15: A Day Full of Surprises ~   


****

Tuesday, 8th August. Sirius's Hearing…

__

: Do I look all right? : Sirius asked Fenix. 

__

: How would I know? I'm not an expert on how a wizard should really look like…why do you always wear black? : She asked curiously. 

__

: What? Don't I look good in black? : 

"Well, you do…but why can't you wear any other color? Dark red and emerald…you look good in those colors too, you know…" Fenix informed him, handing him his cloak. 

__

: Remus, how does he look? : Fenix questioned Professor Lupin who was at that moment, having his second breakfast with Harry. 

"Forever the peacock," he replied in a mouth full of cereal. 

"Sense of style, Moony…and why haven't you replaced your wardrobe? Don't tell me you are going to Hogwarts shabbily dressed again?" Sirius asked his friend lightly. 

"Do I look as if I have that much savings?" Remus snorted. 

"This Diagon Alley…do they have a place for exchanging Muggle money?" Fenix asked Harry, who was looking at the adults with amusement. On Sunday morning, Ron, Hermione and himself had completed their forms, and took subjects that would be needed if they were to pursue the career path of the Aurors. Except for Hermione, as she took an extra elective on Additional Ancient Runes. 

"Yes, they do," Harry replied. "Are you thinking of going down there?" 

"Yes, I have to get some…witchy clothes…so in short, I'm doing some shopping…" Fenix shrugged. 

"Did you bring any money?" Sirius asked, tilting his head in inquiry. 

"Some…" Fenix replied evasively. "What's the exchange rate?" The three males shrugged. 

"Why don't you ask Bill when he gets back from the bank?" Remus advised. Fenix agreed. 

"I wonder if I should get a broomstick?" Sirius pondered, lightly scratching his chin. "If the hearing goes all right, and I'm free of all charges…I think I'll make a trip down and get me one," he gave a sidelong glance at Fenix. "Should I get one for you too?" 

Fenix looked at him archly. "What on earth for?" 

"So you could join them in their evening Quidditch games…as you said…we adults are seriously in need for exercise. This is a good way to do it, right?" Sirius explained. 

Fenix's face took on a thoughtful expression. Remus looked incredulously at Sirius. "Are you sure you have enough money, Sirius?" he asked dubiously. 

"Don't worry about that, he could always change a bit of my Muggle money…" Fenix replied in a distracted manner. 

__

: Sirius, if there's some leftover money after the broomsticks, get him some clothes…don't tell it's from me though…get him gray…he doesn't seem much comfortable in brighter colors… : 

__

: Whatever…where is your Muggle money? : He asked, looking slyly at Remus. The werewolf shot a suspicious look at the Black and the woman. 

__

: It's already in that pocket… : Fenix replied. They heard a crack coming from the kitchen. 

"Well, that must be the Headmaster," Harry said cheerfully, picking up his bowl and went out of the room. 

"Off you go then." Fenix tiptoed to give him a kiss on the cheek and a brief hug. "You do look smashing in black." 

__

: Be careful Sirius, : Remus said softly. 

__

: I will, take care of the rest while I'm gone. : 

__

: Keep your eyes open, brother. You'll have bodyguards by the way…so don't be surprised if you see the Salamanders and the Sylphs. They're acting as my eyes anyway, : Fenix informed her oathbrother. 

They met Professor Dumbledore and Fenix lifted her right eyebrow in amusement. She chuckled lightly under her breath. The Headmaster was richly dressed in azure clothes that highlighted an impression of venerability on the aged wizard. 

"It's a good thing you dressed up, Padfoot," Remus said, examining the Headmaster form head to toe. 

Dumbledore spoke up, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Minerva's waiting for us at the Ministry." The Headmaster paused then peered down at Remus. "You look much better by the way. I assume this is because of Fenix's hand at Healing?" his eyes rested at Fenix's face and smiled when she nodded. "Shall we go and start scandalizing?" he asked jovially and Sirius gave a wide grin and the two wizards Disapparated out of The Burrow. 

"Well, that leaves me free for the rest of the afternoon," Fenix sighed in relief, and looked dreamily at the garden. 

"What are you planning to do?" Harry asked her. 

"I'm planning to put my hands under some dirt," she stated. "There you are," she called out when she finally spotted Mrs. Weasley. "My fingers are itching for something to do, does your garden need any help?" 

Mrs. Weasley looked at the Fire Master with pleasure and almost purred. "Yes, you could…if you don't mind doing a little bit of weeding too?" 

Fenix chuckled and shook her head. "I miss tending my own garden…anything you wish to plant?" 

Mrs. Weasley frowned. "You could help plant some tomato seeds. They failed to grow last year." 

Fenix shrugged then ran up the stairs to change into a more appropriate gear for outdoor work. She hurried down the stairs and halted before Remus and Harry. "And what will you two be doing?" 

"What else?" Harry grinned mischievously as he held out his Firebolt. 

"Oh, okay then. But be careful about…" Fenix stopped and grinned when both males rolled their eyes in exasperation. She gave a silvery laugh and went to the garden. 

**********

Cornelius Fudge stared darkly at both wizards. Mr. Weasley hurried forward to congratulate Sirius. 

"That is all, Cornelius. I have to go back to the School. Minerva?" Professor Dumbledore said cheerfully. 

"I'm coming. By the way Sirius, tell the students that they will receive their reply by Friday," Professor McGonagall told the man. 

__

: Great! Are you going to get the brooms? : Fenix's mindvoice reached him and he was surprised that her range was so great. 

__

: Yes, I think. Oh, Bill's here, that's great! What are you doing anyway? : 

__

: I'm still doing some gardening, : she replied impishly. 

__

: I wouldn't take that long to shop, so you could expect me in three hours' time. : 

__

: Okay! See you then. : 

"So, Sirius," Bill began, as Fudge left them in a hurry, "what are you going to do now?" 

"Well…I was thinking of making a trip down to Diagon Alley and get a broom…and surprises for the kids and Remus…" Sirius's face lighted up cheerfully. 

"And Fenix too, I take it?" Bill asked slyly. Several wizards and witches hung around the gallery to listen to their conversation. 

__

"Who is Fenix?" Bill heard several of them whisper. 

"Ah… Sirius…" Mr. Weasley said quietly, giving those whom lurked in the background a sidelong smile, "why don't you and Bill quickly Apparate out of here before the gallery's filled with the reporters?" 

"They seem to be crowding on a bit," Sirius agreed and slyly smiled. "Shall we?" he lifted an eyebrow in inquiry. 

"We're gone, Dad! See you at home later!" 

__

CRACK! 

"Damn!" Rita Seeker swore. "Who is this Fenix anyway?" 

**********

"They're back!" Ginny squealed with delectation. Harry swerved his Firebolt to meet up with the Apparated Bill and Sirius and was astonished at the number of packages of shopping items and landed gracefully before his godfather. 

"These are for you kids; color codes your presents. I believe yours is emerald. Check on the back to see what's written," Sirius paused as he struggled to balance two packages and what could only be a broomstick. Two broomsticks in fact. "I could be wrong." 

Remus was the second one to land followed by Ron, Hermione and Ginny. "You met up with Sirius?" Ron asked his brother. 

"Kind of…I knew he would want to visit and shop for several things and trust me…this man knows how to shop," Bill shook his head in plain disbelief. 

"I recommend you to stop by the Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes…" Sirius spoke up and shook his head helplessly as he accidentally dropped both brooms on his feet. "This one is a belated birthday gift," Sirius said, handing a parcel to Harry and he continued his previous sentence. "Their interior decor is damn superb…" 

"Sirius got these for you," Bill said, handing Remus two overlarge packages. The werewolf gave a dark look at his friend. 

"Those are also belated birthdays' gifts for you," Sirius explained patiently. He looked around for Fenix and frowned slightly in concentration. 

__

: I'm home… : 

__

: Hang on a moment, I'm changing clothes, : she replied. The youths were inspecting the goodies that Sirius had bought for them and the three adults were discussing on Sirius's hearing softly. 

"Fudge wasn't too pleased about what I said about the Dementors, and he's even more acrimonious when the panel agreed on Dumbledore's account. The Ministry's in knee-deep with a lot of troubles now that the Death-Eaters have escaped from Azkaban," Sirius said softly, but additionally giving Harry a silent account. 

"All of them got free?" Remus whispered in alarm. 

"Yes, and now we got more than just the Dark Lord to worry about…we're talking about lunatics…" Sirius said, then his voice trailed off when one of the broomsticks, still covered in its brown packaging zoomed off. It halted just inches away from an astonished Fenix. 

"I really thought that this thing was seriously going to hit me between my eyes," she gulped, her eyes wide in surprise. 

"Can I unwrap this?" Ron offered and she nodded. Those who had stayed behind The Burrow took several sharp breaths as they looked at Fenix's hovering broom, free of its wrappings. 

"The shopkeeper was right; the broom only goes to whom it belongs," Sirius mused and chuckling a little at Ron's stupefied face. 

"Bloody hell, Sirius…this is such an expensive broom, the latest…" Ron whispered, as if he could not believe his eyes. "And there's only one of it…" 

"What's it called?" Harry peered curiously at the broom, made of the darkest wood he had ever seen and was austere except for what seemed like a dagger that really stood out against the sable background. 

"This is the Ice Dagger…superb steering actions. This broom is made to endure the most treacherous weather, incredibly light and its speed is unbelievable. And as Sirius had mentioned, only the person who truly owns it will be able to ride it… I hope you'll appreciate this broom Fenix…It is its only kind…" Ron stared at the broom with awe. 

"The way you're talking, Ron, makes me feel as if I've got a palm-sized diamond in my possession," Fenix spoke up in a strained voice. "No, Sirius…I do not want to know how much this had cost me," she said firmly, then paid full attention to the Ice Dagger. _All right lovely…let's see how you take to me_, she thought silently and held out her hands, palms facing the sky. To everyone's surprise, it obeyed her will, hovering in mid air and gently landed on her palms. An electric shock coursed through her, from the broom and back. After a moment, it ceased and out of her wary nature, she began Looking for possible trap-spells and jinxes. All was clear. 

"It's magnificent," she approved, feeling its weight in her hands. 

"That isn't all, I've got a Broomstick Servicing Kit and clothes for you, and I want to see you in them. Hermione and Ginny will help you." Sirius said, grinning in satisfaction and headed back in to The Burrow. 

**********

"Sirius does have a keen sense of fashion, doesn't he?" Ginny whispered, not in sarcasm but in awe as they helped Fenix dress up in a sorceress robe of Prussian blue that goes well with her tanned complex and black hair. 

"Yes…whoever would have thought that a man could have a fine taste of colors? The design on the robe actually suits her nature…" Hermione replied absently then suddenly shrieked when combs and an assortment of hair accessories suddenly appeared, dancing about in the air. 

"Don't panic, girls. It's just my group of Salamanders playing with my hair…_and don't you guys dare put any make-up on me!_" Fenix sighed plaintively. 

"Okay…but could we just add mascara to your eyelashes?" a soft musical voice requested wistfully. 

"Whatever…" Fenix closed her eyes in despair. It was a good ten minutes when they were done with her. 

"And don't you even smirk," Fenix said warningly at the girls. 

"Man…she looks…no words Fenix…I think I'm turning green with jealousy here," Ginny said in a hushed voice. Then a thought suddenly occurred to her. 

"Have Sirius, or Remus of…Harry ever told you of a Slytherin boy named--" 

"Draco Malfoy?" Fenix tilted her head, and gave a sly grin. "Yes… I have…why?" 

"Just imagine…you dressed up so girl-like…and a few hints that you don't know anything about wizard magic…and then you change into your Hunter mode in front of everyone…Just imagine that…" Ginny slowly turned to Hermione, who was slowly starting to grin devilishly. 

"You girls are so wicked. I wonder if it would work…" Fenix mused, absently toying with a lock of her black hair. She too, began to grin in a conspiratorial manner. 

__

: Fenix! What's taking you so long? : Sirius complained. 

__

: I'm done! I'm done! : She turned to the two young girls. "Well, girls…we'll fine-tune this plan of ours later…" Fenix said as she opened the door and walked down the stairs, taking care not to step on the hem of her robe. 

__

: Hah! : Silver snorted contemptuously in her mind._ : Plan first. Then you can fine-tune it. :_

"Fenix! Let us go first!" the girls squeezed so that they were ahead to present her to the company waiting for them at the living room. 

"Professor Lupin!" Ginny started. "Behold: your assistant, the Fire Master!" Ginny announced. 

__

: Brace yourself, Moony. I have the feeling that she got herself closeted by her Elementals, : Sirius cautioned. 

__

: What do you mean? : Remus looked questioningly at his friend. 

__

: Just watch, : Sirius said with a demented grin. 

"My goodness!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed in surprise. "And Sirius was the one who chose the clothes for her?" she looked at her eldest son. She stared at Sirius in disbelief when Bill enthusiastically nodded. "Impossible! I thought all men are color-blind!" 

"It's hard to believe right, mom?" Ginny agreed with her mother, and grinned at the faces watching Fenix, except for Sirius who was looking intently at her. 

"Do you feel comfortable in that?" Sirius asked her seriously, as he studied her. 

"Yes, but I think I'll only wear these when I'm sure that I'll be stuck indoors." 

"What do you think?" Sirius asked Remus, who was staring dazedly at her. 

"I think he thinks it's very nice on you." Sirius answered for his speechless friend. "Next one," he instructed, taking a chair and positioned it directly at the center of the room and sat down on it. 

"What happened to her hair?" Harry asked in amazement. 

"As far as I know, her Elementals like to doll her up when they get a chance to, and she never fought with them," his godfather explained. "But I think she secretly loves their attention." 

__

: You are going to get yourself into trouble if she heard that, : Silver remarked. 

"Let's just forget my previous sentence," Sirius replied nervously. Ron muffled his laughter. Remus meanwhile took the opportunity to unwrap his package. 

"Oh good, go on and change," Sirius approved then toyed absently with a Chocolate Frog. "I hope it fits you." 

Remus emerged first with his fresh clothes that of a dark gray. Sirius had given him four sets of robes, one black, and three of various shades of gray. Sirius eyed him carefully. 

"I guess I hadn't lost my knack in getting you clothes of a suitable size…good…you look good…this time the students will be able to look at you seriously. Just make sure you don't wear these new ones when you're turning into a werewolf." 

Fenix gave Remus the once-over in his new robes. _As I had expected, he looks good in dull colors…teal…yes…he suits with that color…_

"Wicked, Fenix…you look wicked…" Ron uttered in amazement. 

"Merlin…she almost looks like Sirius…" Harry breathed. "Are you sure she isn't your real sister?" he asked, his voice shaded with amazement as he looked back at his godfather. 

Sirius chuckled with pleasure. Fenix was now dressed in black starting with black dragon-hide boots, black leather pants and shirt and a good black wizard cloak and her black hair was braided. 

"Do I really, absolutely have to wear the cloak?" Fenix asked mildly. 

"You should," Ron and Harry said at once. "I would really like to see Draco's mother's face when she sees you and Sirius together." 

"Take off the cloak," Sirius asked her and she complied. Harry's eyes bulged out when she did. 

"Now she looks very much like an assassin," Harry said softly, as he looked at the Fire Master clad in black leather. The shirt was short-sleeved and Harry could see her muscles in the tight-fitting garment. 

"Thank you, Harry," Fenix said with a slight smile. 

"That wasn't meant to be a compliment…" 

"I know." 

Sirius suddenly snapped his fingers and exclaimed. "Gloves! That's what's missing!" 

"So the gloves were meant to go with these?" Hermione asked, waving her hand at Fenix. 

"Yes!" Sirius answered and narrowed his eyes in anticipation. 

"What are you up to, Sirius?" Remus asked suspiciously. 

"Trust me. Come and stand beside me, you too," Sirius said to Ginny. Hermione quickly trotted down the stairs and handed Fenix's the pair of gloves then went straight to Ron, who unconsciously held her by the waist. 

Fenix smiled crookedly at Sirius as she slipped on the gloves that fitted her hands nicely; already his game was identified. _Well, maybe I shall amuse him and the rest of them._ She held out her right hand and her sword materialized out of the air, bringing out gasps of surprise from the audience. Then she brought her sword up and gave a salute to Sirius. 

"Now, what have you people understood?" Sirius asked them, his eyes staring intently at his oathsister's unique pair of eyes. 

"Oh my God!" Hermione gasped. "How could I have missed this?" she was looking at Fenix with mingled expressions of horror and reverence. 

"Hey…calm down…" Ron soothed her. 

__

"I've read about her!" 

__

"What?" Several people exclaimed at once. Sirius looked calmly at the rest of them. 

"Hermione, what are you saying?" Harry demanded. 

"It was during our fourth year, I was feeling bored one afternoon, so I took a trip down to the library. The book was entitled _The Legacies of the Ancients _by _Julian Mingleweeve_." 

"Hang on," Bill halted Hermione before she could rattle on. "I think I have a copy in my room. Let me get it." 

__

: Is Hermione a human being or is she a walking encyclopedia? : Fenix asked Sirius, her amusement coloring her mindvoice yellow. 

Bill came back down with a thick book, black and gold banded. 

"It's under chapter fifty-one entitled Legend and Fact, page seven hundred and ninety-three," Hermione said helpfully. "There's a picture on the next page." 

__

: Interesting, she even had the chapter and pages memorized. : Fenix looked impressed at the young woman's memory. 

Remus went and stood next to Bill, both of them holding up the book. The subtitle '_The Avenger'_ caught his eye and he heard Bill took a sharp intake of breath. Remus looked at the next page and felt his skin prickled when he saw the picture. 

"Shocking resemblance, isn't it?" Sirius asked casually. Hermione hung back with Sirius, as Ginny, Ron and Harry crowded about the book. 

"Dragon's teeth!" Harry swore. Sirius was right. The resemblance was totally uncanny. _Her posture's even similar to the one in the book!_

"There's only one way to know if what the book says was…or maybe _is_ true," Hermione said in a shaky voice. 

"Really? What?" Bill asked. 

"The sword," Fenix answered, with her face impassive though her eyes twinkled outrageously. 

"I have an idea," Mrs. Weasley suddenly said, snatching the book and went out. 

The rest curiously trailed after her, with Fenix, Sirius and the wolves taking the rear. 

__

: You don't really strike me as a bookworm, : Fenix looked obliquely at her oathbrother. 

__

: You'll be surprised. So you do have a background on our form of Magick. : 

__

: Not really. It was so far back that I might as well say I've forgotten all of it. Your way of magic is somewhat…I think the term is medieval…the reason why you have wands and restrictions…and rules is because wizards and witches don't really approve of spontaneous magic. : 

Out in the field, Mrs. Weasley had placed the book down on the ground and muttered, _"Engorgio."_ Only when she was satisfied that the book had increased to an appropriate size, did she stopped the spell with a flick of her wand. 

Fenix nodded her approval and she set her sword next to the sword in the picture, being very careful not to scratch the book. Ginny and Hermione took off their shoes and scrambled up the enormous book. About twenty minutes later, Hermione, in a shaky voice, announced that Fenix's sword was identical. 

__

"'The sword bears the mark of the maker and the maker bears the mark of the sword,'" Hermione recited and pointed at the imprint of a phoenix in flight engraved on the blade. 

"Your daughter's a real odd gem," Fenix said to Mrs. Granger. 

"She's queer, but she's useful." 

"So we saw the mark of the maker on the sword, but how about the mark of the sword of the maker?" Harry questioned, still feeling a little dubious. 

"You're not licensed to see that, Harry," Sirius said firmly then he turned to Fenix, her sword back in her hands and Mrs. Weasley had already reduced the size of the book to its original size. "Why don't you turn into a wolf?" he suggested. 

"This might surprise you for a bit, but I am_ not_ an Animagus," Fenix cautioned as her sword disappeared and a sudden mist that came out from nowhere hindered their visibility suddenly. It dissipated to the ground and a silver-black wolf calmly stood on the spot where Fenix had been standing a few minutes ago. 

"I see now why Sirius had said that," Ginny said softly. "She bears the marking of the sword on her chest." Harry's face turned red with embarrassment and peculiarly, so did the current teacher of Defense against the Dark Arts. 

"You're just so full of surprises aren't you?" Harry said, smiling slightly and Fenix returned to her human form. 

"One can try," she said mischievously. 

**********

They gathered in the living room after dinner as Hermione volunteered to read the short chapter aloud. The rest of the Weasley siblings informed the twins of the latest news they had discovered about the Fire Master. 

"Quickly, Hermione," Fred enthused. 

"Here goes…" 

__

Chapter 51: Legend and Fact 

__

The Avenger

This was the greatest debate ever since the start of the era of Wizards. Generally, we, meaning wizards and witches, have a much longer life span compared to normal human beings. The topmost important question to this particular debate is to find out if constant reincarnation is possible among wizards and humans alike. This particular woman (picture on the next page) is a constant puzzle to us. Legend had said she first appeared when the first murder of a wizard family occurred. Always dressed in black, she brings our childhood memories of soldiers and knights of a world far older than we do. The culprits responsible for the deaths of a pair accomplished wizard and witch, along with their three young children bearing Magick was found disemboweled in the Pit of Enuar. 

"I don't think this place still exists anymore," Hermione mused and continued her narration. 

__

And so she, whom we call The Avenger, seemed to be the sole arbitrator of unjudged crimes. Her methods of delivering justice were oftentimes clean and easy, using her sword to slit the throat of the criminals but the results were often messy if it was a band of criminals. In the Dark World, unsound wizards teamed up and set up a manhunt for this unknown Lady. Rumors reached the population that this mysterious mercenary was killed, with evidence of her body and her head, found amongst the mutilated and burnt remains of the perpetrators. 

Hermione looked at Fenix, and she gulped. 

"Yes, that was how I died then. It was a 'last stand' situation." 

__

Hence, the common population lived again with the monstrosity of human depravations. Until three hundred years later, a child was born in the Black family, a severe Wizarding family who believed in keeping their wizard lines pure. To their horror, referring the Blacks, at the age of thirteen, their daughter did not show any signs of Magick. Constantly plagued by their closer relations of the other wizard families, they were absolutely scandalized when their daughter turned more and more like what the non-magical people named Druids. Their daughter was constantly missing from their house to wander off to the woods. 

__

Came an unfortunate day when her older brother came across an old photograph that had closely resembled his delinquent sister. He noticed that there was a postscript written at the bottom of the old photo 'The sword bears the mark of the maker and the maker bears the mark of the sword'_. This brother had glimpsed his sister in the glade using a similar sword with agility and ease. On the first week of December, a very chilly winter with deep snow, they tried to kill the child on her birthday. But the girl was nowhere to be found. Three years later, Elderina Black, sent a letter to tell her parents that she would disown herself from the Black family and thus she lived again as The Avenger, to look after the innocent._

__

The Avenger had not appeared for centuries, even after the Dark Lord emerged from the slumbers of the snow drake, where her aid was sorely needed. Her return remained unknown until the Seer, Merlinda Bahowan, foretold the coming of the same child, born under the Elder tree according to the Celtic calendar. Descended from an ancient line of the Celts, bound to share an oath with one of her bloodline, to heal the Lupus, to guide The Boy that Lives. The Ancients will rise. The Phoenix will rise.   


"That was pretty straightforward," Harry said in a small voice. 

"How does it feel Sirius? To be bonded with your--at least a distant ancestor?" Fenix asked her oathbrother lightly. 

"Well, that really means we're family," Sirius shrugged his indifference and winked at her. She gave a resonant chuckle. "I like you the way you are." 

"Any more comments?" Fenix asked the group. 

"None, whatsoever," Remus answered but gave Fenix an indescribable look. "We don't have to tell this information to all and sundry." 

__

: Afraid for me, Remus? : Fenix asked him. 

__

: What are you going to do, if I said I am? : He asked sharply, and her eyes flared in surprise. 

"Well, that was one hell of a surprise," Fred said. 

"I am so filled with astonishment, that surprisingly, my head is pounding," George agreed and it took everyone a moment to know that the twins were serious. 

"It has been quite a day," Fenix agreed, looking tentatively at Remus. "Let's all get some rest." 

**********

Lucius Malfoy was looking at Voldemort with fear. 

"Why isn't Snape coming to me?" the Dark Lord hissed. "He still bears my mark…He was a good follower. Damn you, Dumbledore! Curse you!" a dozen glasses shattered as he focused his anger on them. 

"Can't we use Harry, Master?" Malfoy said in a respectful voice, head bowing as he suggested his opinion. 

"No. The boy has learnt to control his emotions and his mind. He's shielding hard from me." Voldemort stopped pacing. "Get me more homeless Muggles, Lucius, I need to harvest more power." 

"Yes, Master," Lucius bowed out. 

Voldemort stood upon the ruins and lifted his face to the infinite black sky, lightning playing on its surface. He contemplated and brooded while the wind slammed at him in a surprising strength. He looked about him in distaste and retreated into the cabin where he still brooded. 

__

Now that Harry's unavailable, I can't even influence his dreams… Snape is the key. I need him to strengthen the group, but how do I get him? And these killings of my Dementors. Not once have my servants uncovered the silent killers. And that Phoenix…how daring of Dumbledore to create its illusion! No matter…it is Snape I want…I will break him again if it is required of me...I will break him... 

**********


	16. Guarding A Werewolf

****

~ Chapter 16: Guarding A Werewolf ~   


****

Thursday, 10th August. The Burrow.

Sirius was waiting impatiently for Fenix to finish bathing and to change. He was adamant that Fenix should learn to ride her broom on that day. He shook his head and looked at the youths that were fidgeting with excitement. The wolves volunteered to stay indoors to catch up on their beauty sleep. 

"How are you guys getting along with Fenix?" Sirius asked out of boredom. 

"She seemed very cold at first," Ron said truthfully. 

"Well, from what my parents told me," Hermione started in defense, "I think it was purely because she doesn't socialize much. But after a while, she did unwind…" she shrugged. 

"Yeah, she's great. I think if she was in our lot, she would have found pleasure in fraternizing with the twins," Ginny said but then pouted as she looked back at Sirius. "Still I'm shocked that she's not your girlfriend. Disappointed in fact," she asserted, looking slyly at Professor Lupin. "But not so disappointed…because her relationships with everyone is peculiar." 

Fenix trotted towards them, handling her broom easily. She was wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of faded jeans, wearing her dark blue Nike shoes. 

"Sorry to keep you waiting," she called out. 

"Nervous?" 

"A little…" she tittered lightly. 

"Why? Are you afraid of falling?" Sirius teased. 

"Why would I be? It's just the idea of flying on a broom seems a little incomprehensible." 

"Don't worry. I'll bet you on a custard pie that you'll do all right," Harry grinned. "It's really easy…for beginners…I think you ought to put your broom on the ground an--" then he paused as he looked at his godfather who doubled up in laughter. Professor Lupin did raise his eyebrow but kept silent. "What?" the boy asked in vexation. 

"You make it sound so…" 

"Childish?" Remus supplied. 

"Fine…she's your ancestor…" Harry gave up when Sirius nodded his head, still chuckling. 

Fenix protested mildly, "Harry! You make me sound as if…as if I'm an old hag!" 

Ron guffawed at the indignant Fire Master. 

"We'll do this our way, Fenix," Remus started. He was dressed up in what they all called the normal Muggle uniform, dark gray shirt and pants. He demonstrated by maneuvering his broom so that it was in between his legs and Fenix copied his actions. 

"But doesn't she have to call the broom?" Harry questioned. Ron answered him instead. 

"No, she doesn't. You tell me, did you have to do all of that since the day you've rode on your Firebolt?" Ron insisted and gave a crooked grin when Harry frowned and then his expression turned sheepish when he realized the truth behind Ron's words. While the two boys were discussing, Fenix had already successfully taken off the ground and was flying without anymore guidance from either Remus or Sirius. 

"It's just what the advertisement said…it moves according to the rider's will. However, I believe when it comes to fancy flying, I think the Dagger will take it from there," Ron informed Ginny as they watched the Fire Master glided lowly around the area. Her landing was smooth and she was smiling merrily. 

"He's almost like a sword," Fenix said, a little breathlessly. 

"_He?_" Sirius inquired. 

"Yes, its character is purely masculine," Fenix asserted. 

"That was fast," Remus blinked. "Now, let's move onwards with Quidditch then. Harry?" 

"Don't look at me…if I start telling her the rules of the games…and blah blah blah…you might say that I'm oversimplifying," Harry spoke sharply and took to the air, flying with his snowy eagle-owl. 

"Since when had he developed such a sharp tongue?" Sirius asked, looking at his godson in surprise. 

"Ever since he met you, probably…" Fenix snorted and Sirius narrowed his eyes dangerously. 

Remus veered Fenix's attention away from Sirius and began to fill her in the rules of Quidditch. About ten minutes later, after a strict warning not to go above the level of the treetops, they all took to the air. Mrs. Weasley poked her head briefly to check up on them and since the adults were keeping them busy, she went back to her chores. Due to safety reasons, there were no Bludgers so only the Chasers and the Keepers were in effect. Fenix, Ginny, Hermione and Remus grouped up together while Sirius, Harry and Ron made the other with Ron as the Keeper naturally. After a moment of discussion, Fenix elected herself as the Keeper for her own group. 

"The bloody hell you are!" Ron shouted indignantly. "I want to see that broom in action!" 

"Don't worry Ron," Fenix laughed at the boy, "I just want to hang around to see how the game is played. I will then exchange my role with Hermione later on…" 

"Oh…all right then," Ron went back to guard his post. 

__

: This is not an actual Quaffle mind you. Learnt from Harry that Ron played Keeper so this is a practise for them. Harry's the Seeker of the Gryffindor team, : Sirius informed her as the seven people waited for the game to begin. _: How's the seat? :_

__

: No worse than riding a bike. : 

__

: What's that? : Sirius asked and nodded in comprehension when she filled his mind with an image of a bicycle. 

The game commenced with the Quaffle that was really a rattan ball went over to Harry first. Sirius flew up front and Harry threw it forward. Hermione dived but missed in snatching the Quaffle. Having caught the Quaffle, Sirius zoomed off towards the goal post. Fenix calmly waited as Sirius approached taking deep breaths. _At least this was not as bad during the time I was substituted for a goalkeeper in soccer._ Sirius dived and threw the Quaffle from below her. The rest of the players looked in amazement when Fenix rolled and sped for the loop and gave the Quaffle a kick with the end of her broom. 

Ginny caught the Quaffle and sped off with the rest in diamond formation. Only when Hermione complained of getting sunburns did they halt for a rest. When they got in to the kitchen to rest, Sirius was continuously testing Harry on the spells that could be used for both attack and defense. Hermione complained that she was getting broom sores all over and backed out from more broom-flying. That left the group with six active players. 

"So do you want to remain in the same group or do you want to be rearranged?" Ron asked around. "We'll have two Chasers for each team." 

"Well, since I'm the outs--" Fenix did not get a chance to finish her sentence as Sirius clapped his hand on her mouth. 

"Finish that sentence, and I'll force you to sleep with Remus alone," Sirius said threateningly.   
  
_ : Stop pushing the both of us! :_ Fenix fumed. 

__

: She's right, Padfoot, : Remus agreed. _: I'll court her at my own time. :_

Sirius stared at his friend in shock. 

__

: What? You mean you didn't know how we felt for each other? : Remus asked slyly as Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. Sirius still stared mutely at his friend. 

__

: How unobservant. Did you forget to tell him, Fenix? : Remus mindvoice spoke up gently. 

__

: No…I did not forget…I just don't see the point of telling him… : Fenix replied loftily to Sirius, then she quickly spoke up. "Ginny and Harry, will you be my group members?" 

"No prob…" the two youths replied. 

"I'll be the Keeper this time. But promise me that you'll keep those two out of our post," Ginny said nodding towards Sirius and Remus. 

"Do you think we can handle them, Harry?" Fenix asked the boy thoughtfully. 

"Well, let's see and try, why don't we?" 

Hermione took the Quaffle and soared upwards. 

__

: Remus, what was that about? : Fenix asked the werewolf nervously. 

__

: What was what about? : 

__

: About you courting me I mean…Remus…I think you're going to get me into trouble…I mean…what if he really thought that you were courting me and I kept him in the dark? : Fenix spluttered. _: I lied to my oathbrother…Remus! You will get me into trouble! :_ She wailed. 

Remus blinked at her in surprise and she explained. _: It's our bond. I think he's angry. :_

__

: Don't worry about it. : His mindvoice echoed tenderly in her mind and gave a small smile. She shivered involuntarily. D_on't think about it…don't think about him…concentrate on the game…you'll worry about that later…_

Fenix took a deep breath and flew alongside Harry. She faced Sirius while Harry faced Remus. There was a kind of blankness in Sirius's eyes and she felt her inside grew cold. _Damn…he is angry. Very clever Fenix…got caught in your own trap. _She gave a small sigh but instant became alert when Hermione dipped her arm and the Quaffle projected upwards. 

__

: I'm going! : Fenix sped off, turned sideways and grabbed the Quaffle, tucking it protectively against her chest. Sirius's Firebolt was no match for her Ice Dagger. Harry was waiting for her near Ron's post and out in the corner of her eye, she saw that Remus was coming down from below her ready to converge on Harry. 

__

: Harry! To me! : 

__

: They are cheating? : Harry asked as he took on a higher altitude and dived down towards Fenix. From behind her, Sirius uttered a curse as she threw the precious Quaffle at Harry who caught it perfectly. Harry made a sharp turn and threw the Quaffle back and without losing her momentum, she aimed for the loop. They scored. 

**********

****

During the game… 

__

: Are you mad at her? : Remus asked mildly. Sirius remained silent. _: I was joking all right! : _Remus yelled, feeling guilty of a sudden. 

__

: Which part were you joking? : Sirius asked apathetically. 

__

: You know how I feel about her, that part is true. The courting part wasn't, : his best friend confessed, feeling his face burn with his admittance. 

__

: You have not? : Sirius looked slyly at him. "Moony, how do you expect to get a hold on her if you're too timid to ask her?" he burst out in irritation suddenly. 

__

: You knew we were lying all along? Why didn't you inform us sooner? : Remus demanded and dived before Harry managed to crash into him. 

__

: Really, Moony. Are you a wolf or are you a mouse? : 

__

: Padfoot, : Remus spoke up warningly, _: if you treasure your health, I suggest you not to utter mouse or rat in front of me. :_

Fenix joined in the conversation. _: Since we've gotten that mini-misunderstanding cleared up, would you guys put a little more fire to your brooms? I don't feel threatened at all. You as my opponents shouldn't make me feel so safe… Did you hear that Harry? Take note all right? :_

__

: You had better try to give Ron a break, Sirius. I think he is getting shaky after we had constantly bombarded his loop. You ought to give Ginny more work, : Harry said, pointing his chin at the female Weasley, who was sitting lazily on her broom. 

**********

__

: What do you feel about him? : Sirius asked his oathsister curiously. 

__

: Sirius, we're having dinner! : Fenix answered, trying to evade his question. 

__

: So? We aren't breaking any table manners or anything, : he said impudently. 

__

: Okay, I think I love him…are you happy? : 

__

: In fact, yes…I am happy. But it is a little too soon to say that you love him for sure, isn't it? : 

__

: Don't interfere, lad, : Silver said cheerfully. _: Time doesn't apply for the bonding that they'll make. :_

__

: I do care for him, : Fenix said dreamily, her eyes staring to look at the werewolf. 

__

: The game was good for him, wasn't it? It kept his mind off his transformation, : Sirius said._ : And how is he? :_

__

: He's getting better. I think I'm going to go wolf and be with him tomorrow night, : Fenix whispered. 

__

: Good idea. I'll come too, so I could show you how to guard him in future, : Sirius offered sincerely. 

**********

****

Friday 11th August. Full moon… 

"Guys!" Fenix called out. "You've got post!" 

"Oh! It must be our posting results." Hermione took her letter from Hogwarts anxiously. 

"He accepted!" Hermione shrieked in amazement. 

"Me too!" 

They all looked at Harry, who was tearing his seal in apprehension. He blinked his eyes and read the letter again. 

"Yeah, got through…" 

**********

Three wolves and one large black dog were squeezed and concealed in a spacious shed the Weasleys' had built. 

__

: I don't think this is a good idea, : Remus fidgeted as he felt twitching of his muscles that indicated that he would soon change. 

__

: Don't fret so much, : Wind coaxed the wizard. 

__

: Don't fight it Remus, : Fenix whispered in his mind gently. Remus closed his eyes as he felt himself contract and then expand. One thought pierced his mind before he completed his Change. _Maybe it's time I accept myself for who I am…_

The four canines looked at the werewolf who was again confused by the surroundings and his strange inmates. The werewolf sniffed at the air and scented the humans out of the shed. The werewolf began to make a low rumbling growl and it got louder when it heard the human voices. Fenix studied the behavior of the werewolves patiently. The werewolf rammed its shoulder against the shed. 

__

: Harry? : 

__

: Yes? Is he all right? : 

__

: I think he's fine, but your presence agitates him. Tell the rest to go; I'm placing the Elementals on watch. : 

There was a pause before Harry answered her._ : Are you sure it's all right this way? :_

__

: Yes. : 

The werewolf paced the length of the shed, its rumbling not ceasing. 

__

: Krill? : 

__

: We're ready. : 

__

: Good. : 

Sirius stepped forward, catching the attention of the werewolf. The werewolf paused, as if unsure of what to do. Sirius moved forward again then sat down, inviting the werewolf to examine the black dog. The huge werewolf slowly moved forward to sniff at Sirius, and as if it knew him, the werewolf gave a lick on Sirius's left cheek. 

__

: I think he recognizes me. : Sirius said. _: Your turn, Silver. :_

The great silver wolf calmly walked forward and the werewolf backed away dubiously. Silver sat on the spot where Sirius was and waited patiently for the werewolf to come to him. The werewolf dipped his muzzle in submission and backed away from the pack leader. Wind came next, and as if recognizing her as the leader's mate, the werewolf gave a low whine and backed away from the wolves. 

__

: Your turn. Nervous? : Sirius asked Fenix in concern. The silver-black wolf shook her head. 

Fenix came nearer to the werewolf slowly. The werewolf watched calmly, its tongue lolling out. Suddenly, it lunged forward and went for the wolf's throat. Fenix leapt off to the side, and the werewolf turned its attention on her. 

__

: No…don't interfere. I'm curious to know why he lunged at me. : 

The werewolf was pacing, its eyes not leaving Fenix's, growling deeply in his chest. Fenix she took a step forward and leapt back when the werewolf jumped at her. During the action, she managed to get a glimpse of what the werewolf was thinking. 

__

: Oh, I see. Remus--the werewolf-- thinks I don't belong in the pack. He knows that wolves mate for life and he is very suspicious as to why an unpartnered bitch--pardon the expression--is tagging along, : Fenix replied, her mindvoice carrying overtones of amusement. 

__

: The werewolf is attacking you and you could still find humor in the situation? : Sirius yelped in disbelief. _: You're crazy! :_

__

: If you think my words are crazy, what I'm going to do would have you labeling me as a hopeless maniac, : Fenix said lightly. 

The werewolf attempted to jump at her again but this time, instead of running away from the werewolf, she advanced towards the werewolf and snapped her jaws together. The werewolf froze in action, landing on its paws and looked confusedly at the wolf. Fenix echoed the growl that was emanating from him, and it stopped, and backed away from the wolf that had suddenly began to frighten it. 

__

: Blast it! : 

Fenix cantered towards the werewolf where it had begun cowering at one corner of the shed. It yapped at her when she came to close, and went back again in its defense position. Fenix was not having any of it. Not caring if the werewolf was going to charge at her, she laid down, trapping the werewolf against the shed. The werewolf tried to jump over but when she gave a low growl, it retreated. 

__

: She is crazy, : Sirius said as he licked a forepaw. _: I don't think she requires us anymore. :_

**********

The werewolf had begun to tire. Every time it tried to jump over the wolf or tried to nip her, she would growl. Not able to find any other alternatives, it slowly calmed down, and began to drowse. It jerked its head up when the silver-black wolf settled against him, and purred contentedly. The werewolf blinked its eyes in confusion. The wolf's breathing became regular and she was asleep. 

__

: Remus isn't going to forgive himself if he had harmed her in any way! : Sirius yelped in alarm. 

__

: Calm down… : Wind shook her head._ : She'll be safe. :_

The werewolf found the wolf's body beside it warm and comforting. Finding its own actions foolish, the werewolf growled softly and curled beside Fenix to sleep. 

__

: See? What did I tell you? : Wind said. 

**********

The night had gone on quietly, with the werewolf fast asleep with Fenix. The moon went down and Remus slowly changed back into a human, his arm curled on the wolf's back. 

__

: Let's leave them together. : Sirius whispered to the pair of wolves roguishly. 

__

: A good idea. : 

__

: Krill? : 

__

: Yes, Sirius? : 

__

: Could you unlatch the door for us? : 

They heard a click and the door creaked open slightly. The three canines went out silently and the shed was sealed again. Fenix had returned to her human form when she felt the earth turn and daylight filled her being. Instead of immediately waking up, she fell asleep again, this time not curled against a werewolf, but a wizard, who was sleeping soundly beside her. Unconsciously, she let her Healing energy flow through the wizard, as she somehow recognized it was Remus. 

**********

Remus suddenly awakened then stilled himself as he felt warmth against his chest. He flushed with embarrassment as he held a sleeping Fenix in his arms. He lay back down quietly, staring at her sharp features and did not even blink when she suddenly opened her eyes. She slowly gave him a smile. 

__

: You didn't like me all that much last night. : 

__

: Then…how come you're… : Remus asked, surprise overwhelming him. 

__

: I had to cheat. You didn't really know what to do when I started growling back at you. Then you began to feel tired and lay down. So I can't miss the opportunity of sleeping alone with you. : 

__

: You're crazy, : he said flatly. 

__

: You're just like Sirius, : Fenix accused. Remus shook his head reprovingly and began to lecture her on her foolishness. She remained silent throughout his chiding. 

__

: Are you done? Or do you still have more to go? : Her mindvoice brushed his mind softly. 

__

: I'm finished. : 

__

: Good. : She leaned forward and gave him a short loving kiss then retreated back and smiled in satisfaction. _: I've been longing to do that for a long time now, : _she said and smiled at the dazed Remus. She quickly got up to her feet and helped him up. She walked towards the door of the shed. _: Oh, I forgot. One more thing… :_ she walked back towards him and gave him a tight hug. _: There… :_ she smiled tenderly at the nonplussed man and pushed the door open and went in to The Burrow. 

**********


	17. Dreams and Daggers

****

~ Chapter 17: Dreams and Daggers ~   


****

Sunday, 13th August. Hogwarts. Severus Snape's office…

Professor Snape, Potions Master, Head of Slytherin House of Hogwarts, was muttering absently to himself. He was busying himself in the research on the Wolfsbane potion to prevent werewolves from harming anyone when they transformed. 

"This must be it…_Get out of my office, Peeves!_" 

"Aren't you feeling testy tonight?" the poltergeist laughed maniacally before disappearing through the wall. 

The Potions Master returned his attention to his work. "Fools…they did not have an account on the detailed attributes of Wolf's Bane…as I had suspected." Snape read the papers carefully; so absorbed in trying to determine the fact that those who had taken the potion for years experienced resistance from their own body. One such person was a colleague: Remus Lupin. Snape was blind and deaf to the world, only seeing his papers and reached out for the reference book absently. 

His marking on his arm burned suddenly and he stopped what he was doing, calmly taking deep breaths and began to ignore the painful tingle. He determinedly read out the reference book, and was not surprised when he found that Wolf's Bane had side effects if consumed. 

"Fools!" Snape uttered a series of curses. There was a knock on his door, and Professor Dumbledore came in. 

"Am I bothering you, Severus?" 

"No, Headmaster. Do sit." 

"You've been keeping yourself busy, I can see that," the Headmaster said, glancing at Snape's broad table that was covered in papers and reference books. "People from the Health Department contacted me earlier this evening. They need your help in listing down the possible ingredients that are causing trouble for werewolves, who had been using the potions for a few years," the Headmaster began mildly and was not surprised when Snape gave a disdainful snort. 

"They are not fit to be Potions Masters…their objective at that time was to curb the damages done by a werewolf. They did not really care if consuming the potion will endanger the werewolf's health. Tell this to them; it is their main ingredient that is causing their consumers trouble," Snape snarled, waving a hand full of research papers. 

"The Fire Master had begged a favor from me," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "She wants to know if this is an isolated case…so it is not?" 

"It is not," Snape answered abruptly. "Those who had been consuming the potion for about four to five years will find themselves being totally 'werewolf' occasionally." 

"Remus's looking far better these days," the Headmaster stood up and paused to look out the office's window. "Why don't you go down and visit the Fire Master, Severus? Treat it like a mini-vacation." 

"Why would I want to consort myself with tha--" Snape protested but stopped when the Headmaster raised his hand warningly. 

"There is more to her than meets the eye, Severus. She was able to teach Harry to close his mind from influence in just a few hours." 

"Impossible!" 

"It may be…for us…but Harry _is _a strange boy. The Fire Master is even stranger. Well, Severus, there is something I'd like to clear up on a particular misconception that some people had been having." 

Snape frowned at the Headmaster. "And what misconception would that be, Dumbledore?" 

"I did not create an illusion of the Phoenix." Professor Dumbledore said. Snape looked at the Headmaster without disguising his incredulity. The Potions Master remained stunned when the Headmaster proceeded to leave the office. "Think about what I've said tonight." Professor Dumbledore quietly shut the door and left Snape to himself. The Potions Master took a deep breath and unrolled the sleeve of his robe to stare at the Mark. For a moment, he heard a voice and quickly blanked his mind. 

__

Return…return…return…My Servant…return… 

Sweat beaded his forehead as he leaned against the bookcase. He gave a strangled cry when his arm burned to an inferno. 

Snape blacked out. 

**********

Snape was awake, feeling a little disoriented and was surprised to find that he was lying on his own bed. Strangely, his left arm felt numb. 

"He will be all right," Madam Pomfrey peered down at the Potions Master's eyes and nodded grimly. 

"You should rest, Severus," the Headmaster said softly and the moment his fingers touched Snape's temples, he instantly went back to his sleep. 

**********

****

Monday, 14th August. **In The Burrow…**

Fenix was dreaming but maybe she was not. She was walking aimlessly in a forest, with numerous oak trees. _Is this a dream? Why does it feel so familiar to me? _Fenix wondered silently. Even in her sleep, she was aware of Remus's reassuring hand and her oathbrother's comforting warmth beside her. 

A strange elf came up to her, and suddenly she was aware of the ground, littered with reddish leaves. _This is getting weirder and weirder. The leaves up on the trees are still plentiful and green and the air still smells summer to me. _The elf reappeared a few meters away from her and beckoned. She followed him, then found herself face to face with a woman. _Weird,_ Fenix observed critically. _Her nose is like that of the Blacks._ The stranger snarled at her and Fenix blinked in surprise. _She's a witch!_ She ducked quickly when a red bolt darted towards her. It missed. 

Her vision switched. This time she knew where she was. Mineif was talking quietly to Aldren and smiling, he held out his arms. _Fine, I'm not exactly dreaming._ She ran towards the Elven Lord and laughed joyously. 

__

: You're taking your own sweet time to see me, so I cut it short, : Mineif spoke gently in her mind. Aldren looked fondly at her and she hugged him as tightly as she held his father. 

__

: I miss you. : 

__

: I thought you would be too busy with the other one to spare me a thought? : 

__

: Bullshit. : 

__

: Young Ruis, : Mineif greeted her formerly by her Celtic name. 

__

: Aodhfin, : She replied as formally. His lips quirked up in a gentle smile. 

__

: We seek your aid. : 

__

: Oh? : 

__

: Keep calm… : Aldren said, his face betraying his anxiousness. Fenix stared calmly at them. She was aware that the other elves were edging in closer and she Felt tension radiating from each one. 

__

: Giana, my youngest, is missing. : 

Fenix had barely gotten Mineif's message when her Gift of Foresight swept her mind off again. _Damnation!_

She was inside a house. The place seemed dangerous. She crept towards the door stealthily. It suddenly disappeared and she was amazed to see the Potions Master and another man. 

__

"Do not fight it, Severus. Give in to me. You will return to me." 

__

"I will not…" Snape hissed in pain. 

__

"You will give in…eventually…Lucius!" 

Fenix watched the scene impassively and memorized the name she heard the strange man called out. The Potions Master seemed to be rebelling against something and he let out a broken cry. A peculiarly light-haired man entered the room cautiously. 

__

"Do you want the woman, Master?" Lucius inquired. 

__

"Yes…" 

__

Master? Peculiar title. Fenix stared at the woman bounded in chains and who was blindfolded. A flash of silver caught Fenix's eyes and searched the woman again for that brief flicker of light. Her eyes were transfixed on the woman's neck. _By the Hands of Phoebus! That is Mineif's Firemark!_ The man by the name of Lucius removed the blindfold and the woman stared fixedly at where Fenix was standing, as if the woman could see her. Fenix felt her insides chilled as Aldren's pair of violet cat-like eyes looked directly into her. 

__

"Choose, Severus…choose…or I will break this woman down…for you…choose!" 

__

"You broke off your connection with Voldermort a long time ago! Snap out of it Bréanainn!" Evangiana screamed, writhing in her bounded chains. _"You're a fool! You should have been with her and the rest! Why must you be so stubborn!" _the Elven woman kept on screaming. 

__

"Ceridwen…" Snape whispered. He was already kneeling on one knee. 

__

"YOU WILL NOT GIVE IN!" the elf screamed in anguish. 

Mineif carefully guided the Fire Master gently. 

__

: Fenix? : 

__

: Sorry about that. My gift decided to make a side trip. When did Giana go missing? : 

__

: Two nights ago, while patrolling near the site where the Mnids congregate. : 

__

: Damn. He_ must have someone watching then. Aldren, tell the Elves to be careful while they are scouting, and always go in groups. Stay out of sight. Tell them that this is a strict command from me. This is getting serious, and you and Derian had better not do anything stupid, : _Fenix said firmly. 

__

: What did you See? : 

__

: What I Saw is of no matter. Meanwhile, you get some volunteers. I'll go with you on the rescue mission. : 

__

: Is my daughter in dire trouble, Ruis? : Mineif asked in a controlled voice. Fenix did not answer but hugged both of the elves. 

__

: I'll be here as soon as possible. Have to go. We don't have time to lose. : 

Fenix woke up, shaking Remus gently. 

"What's wrong?" he asked, yawning a little. 

"I need to get in touch with the Headmaster," Fenix said urgently. Sirius sat up in bed quickly, earning a thoughtful look from her. "What did you see?" she asked her oathbrother calmly. 

__

: I think I saw what you were seeing. : 

__

: Curious. : 

__

: What's going on? : Remus interrupted them both. 

"Just do as she says, Moony." 

"All right. Let's go down to the fireplace," Remus agreed, getting out of bed quickly. 

__

: Snape knew Evangiana? : Sirius asked her in amazement. _: He had a girlfriend? :_

__

: Keep your Black nose out of it! : Fenix snapped at him with a touch of annoyance._ : You keep that information to yourself, you hear? :_

__

: Okay…don't get snappy! : Sirius replied. 

__

: I'll be more than snappy if anything happens to them both! : 

__

Oh oh…she's losing her temper again, Sirius thought silently. He knew Fenix much better now to know that not only was she worried about the missing elf and the ex-minion of the Dark Lord, she was also afraid for the Elven brothers. The wolves that were napping in the living room looked curiously at the sudden intrusion. 

Remus was doing something in the fireplace and she heard a sudden puff. 

"Remus?" Professor Dumbledore's face peered curiously. 

"Fenix has something important to ask you." 

"Albus, would you get the Potions Master to stay with us for the next few days, until school term starts?" 

"I assume you have a reason? Severus isn't well enough to travel by himself." 

"What happened?" Fenix asked sharply. 

"Voldemort has been calling him." 

"I know. That's why I want to keep an eye on him," Fenix said quickly. 

"If it is so important to you, I will escort him to The Burrow myself." 

"Do that." 

The fire went out and the room went silent. 

"Don't you think it's better if you had asked the Weasleys first?" Remus asked nervously. 

"Inform them for me. Sirius, you two," Fenix looked at the wolves, "stay here and guard The Burrow. I'm going to the Grove." 

"Fenix?" Mr. Granger trooped down the stairs hurriedly. 

"Is there some kind of trouble?" his wife asked worriedly. 

"Giana's gotten herself into bad hands. I have to go and rescue her before she is ported off to the Dark Lord. Sirius, stay here." Fenix stressed each word clearly. _: I have more than enough people to worry about. Stay out of trouble. :_ Fenix said to Sirius. _: You keep a watch on him, :_ she said to Remus. 

__

: But who is going to watch him_? : _Silver inquired mildly. 

__

: I'm counting on you werewolf, : Fenix said before she vanished. 

"I don't think Harry's going to like this," Mr. Granger began. 

"I don't think any of us have a choice but to comply," Sirius said tiredly, rubbing his forehead. 

"What's going on?" Harry's voice emerged from the staircase. 

**********

Fenix Gated herself to the Grove. 

__

: That was quick. : Derian got up from his seat to give her a hug. 

__

: Who's taking care of Giselle? : 

__

: Every elf that is sitting all around me. : 

Fenix smothered a giggle when she saw her elder sister dressed up in a typical Elven gown. 

__

: Good thinking. : Fenix complimented Derian._ : What's the plan? :_

Aldren approached Fenix with a couple of Elven warriors in tow. Cadriel gave the Hunter a wink before he spoke up. _: The Elementals have given a general area where Giana was bound captive by three wizards, all bearing the mark of the Dark Lord. :_

__

: And where's that? : Fenix asked. 

Cathal, a slim Elven warrior, a computer wizard at other times, produced a map and laid it against the flat stone the Elves use for a table. 

__

: They're here somewhere on the mountain range, : he waved his had at the map._ : That was sixteen minutes ago. They are not using brooms to fly but the Sylphs confirmed that they are bound to the one of the little islands southwest, so either they have a boat ready or they are taking the cover of night and fly. :_

__

: I see. Is this area protected by other Elven lords? : Fenix questioned. 

__

: Yes, : Mineif answered, _: but I have already asked for permission from the Elves of Rhuaine to sweep the area. :_

__

: Someone chain him to a Mnid, : Fenix narrowed her eyes. _: You are not about to risk your life in a simple skirmish, : _she said firmly. Mineif looked darkly at the Hunter. 

__

: It's for your people, Father. I don't have that much experience to succeed you, should anything happen, : Aldren agreed. 

__

: So…how are we going to do this? : Fenix started looking around at the band of Elven warriors. _: Do you want an open confrontation or do you want a hit-and-run version? :_ The Fire Master asked around. 

__

: We wish to keep our identity secret. This is for the good of the wizarding world as well as the other world. We would obviously choose the latter, : Cadriel replied. Fenix gave the elves a devilish grin. 

__

: Suits my nature, : she smirked. One by one, the warriors blurred, and all were identically dressed in black, their faces naturally changing to mimic a tree bark. 

__

: Shall we go then? : Fenix created a Gate for them, and in twos, they crossed over to the deep forest in the mountains. 

**********

The rescuers moved easily in the darkness of the dense forest, flitting silently amidst the trees. Fenix gave them frequent instructions to the warriors, coming closer and closer to their abducted kin. 

__

: Lady, Evangiana's hurt, : Krill said gravely in her mind. 

__

: What kind of injury? : 

__

: It's the chains. The wizards have tied her so tightly that several of her ribs are cracked. She has a concussion and a broken wrist. : 

__

Phoebus, help and guide us…watch over the little Elf… 

__

: Hunter, : Cadriel who was scouting ahead of them called out silently and gave them the signal to remain still. Like the rest, Fenix pressed herself close to the tree trunk, and listened carefully. The crickets chirped and the bats clicked all around. Somewhere ahead of them, Fenix could hear the distant murmurs of three male voices. 

__

"Are you absolutely sure that the weather won't turn against us?" one voice asked worriedly. 

__

"The weather is clear and calm. What? Do you think someone had the ability to control weather?" another voice sneered, sounding very skeptical. 

__

"How would you know? The Dementors did got killed by some unseen killers wer--" the third voice did not finish his sentence as one of them yelled _'Silencio!'_

__

"Learn when to shut up won't you!" the voice belonging to the first who spoke up hissed. 

__

: Krill, is that the group? : 

__

: Yes, lady. They're resting for now. But they wish to hurry before dawn arrives. : 

__

: Very well. Where is Giana situated? : 

__

: She is left at the rear, none guarding her close. All three wizards are ahead…about six meters away from her. Giana's background is filled with oak trees, so sent at least two nimble walkers, : Krill answered readily. 

__

: No sentries? : Fenix questioned. The Salamander gave a negative. 

__

: All right people. Aldren, Derian, you two have worked together to retrieve things fast before. Circle round and get her out of the wizards' sight. To play safe, my Salamanders would surround Giana in flames to protect you from any spells that had been set on Giana's chains. : 

__

: Just like old times. : Aldren whispered to the computer whiz. 

__

: She is even slyer than her mentor ever was, : Cathal concurred. 

__

: Let's get moving then, : Aldren nodded at his younger brother and they crept out, treading silently on the ground. 

__

: All right. Aldren, I'm sending Rendierr, Aderyn, Aelwen, and Cyfel to cover your retreat. Now, we have to eliminate these wizards. As they are working for the Dark Lord, we can't afford to let them sent information back to him. We'll go in for the kill straightaway, clean and easy, : Cadriel instructed and the appointed elves went for their task. Five of them were left. 

__

: Illuwen and I will remain here, : Zeriel volunteered. 

__

: All right, : Cadriel nodded. _: Fenix, take west, Jaheera, take north and I'll take east. :_

__

: Confirm when you are in position. : A wave of assent and they parted. Her light sword materialized in her hand and she moved in for the Hunt in silence. Striding silently, holding her blade behind her, she crept into place and held her sword carefully away from the firelight that the wizards have lighted. 

__

: I'm ready. : Fenix sent her thought to the Elves. One by one, the warriors confirmed their positions. 

For morality's sake, Fenix had sent her Sylphs in search of a wolf pack. Right on cue, the wolves gave ear-shattering howls repeatedly. The three wizards jumped up with their wands in hand, and looked about their surroundings with wariness. They could see nothing but the dim shape of the trees. The howls became louder and louder with each passing moment. 

"Let's get out of here!" the voice belonging to the second man spoke up in panic. 

"Stay where you are, Hudson! The fire will keep them away. More than that, we're wizards and we have weapons!" the man with the first voice grated out. The other two wizards looked unconvinced. 

__

: Let's go. They are warned and they're not helpless. They have the ability to defend themselves. : Fenix cautioned. 

__

: Ah…that's why you got the wolves… : 

The wizards were totally caught by surprise when three people suddenly emerged from the dense forest from three directions, brandishing their swords. 

"Medieval, aren't they, Dolohov?" 

"Quite right, Lestrange. They don't really think that their swords can help them…" the man named Dolohov smirked nastily. Cadriel and Jaheera echoed Fenix's merciless smile. 

"Three on three…" Lestrange breathed. The wizards seemed to have forgotten about their captive, and were not even aware when Evangiana was engulfed in a ball of flame and the two elves quickly took her off and fled. "I'll take this woman." 

The three wizards moved forward to their respective opponents. Fenix stood her ground and waited calmly as the man Lestrange approached her. 

"Confident, aren't you?" Lestrange said softly. "This is my favorite…_Crucio_!" his face had begun to curl into a maniacal grin but it quickly turned into a snarl when she simply held her sword up and the blade simply absorbed the spell. 

__

: Eliminate them before they have a chance to call their master for help. : Fenix said coldly. 

__

"Crucio!" Lestrange repeated but the spell did not hit her as she rolled on the ground, coming up quickly and beheaded him with her blade with a single stroke. The wizard named Hudson was next to fall; Dolohov was still amusing himself with Cadriel. 

The tables turned when the Elven Mage uttered a single, insulting word. _"Amateurish."_ And with a single thought, he engulfed the wizard with intense white flames. Seconds was all it took to reduce the wizard to a pile of ashes. Fenix pulled the two still intact wands and burned them with her Fire. 

__

: Let's go. : 

**********

__

"Noooo!" Voldemort screamed in denial as he felt the deaths of three of his own Death Eaters. 

**********

Aldren sighed with relief when Evangiana was freed of the spells and the chains binding her. 

__

: I think it's prudent that we leave before the Dark Lord comes to investigate. The Sylphs said he's flying right now, : Fenix said, her eyes narrowing in thought. 

__

: Build the Gate, Hunter. : 

Fenix did as Cadriel requested and nodded to Aldren who was carrying the wounded elf carefully in his arms to proceed. She hung back for a time, carefully wiping out residuals of their presence from the confrontation site. She closed the Gate as she crossed back to the Grove. 

**********

__

: You ought to be fine in a few weeks time, : Fenix reassured the young elf. 

__

: Few weeks? : Evangiana complained. 

__

: You knew Severus Snape? : Fenix asked carefully. Evangiana gave a start of surprise that she quickly hid. Fenix lifted an eyebrow. 

__

: Okay…okay! I Healed him when he escaped from the Dark Lord's rule. Sheltered him for a while here in the Grove, : Evangiana said grudgingly, then continued at Fenix's stern face. _: Long enough for me to feel something for him, :_ she admitted, blushing slightly. 

__

: His middle name is Bréanainn? : Fenix asked slightly. Aldren's sister paled._ : And Ceridwen? : _The Elven woman flushed with embarrassment. 

__

: Don't tell anyone, please? : 

Fenix laughed heartily. 

**********

Fenix Teleported herself into the living room of The Burrow. Like Sirius, Harry and Remus had been waiting anxiously for her to return and heaved a huge sigh of relief when she reappeared intact and well. 

__

: I can't really forbid you against any more skirmishes could I? : Sirius said, holding his oathsister tightly. 

__

: Probably not, : she agreed. "So any news from the Headmaster? Do your parents mind, Ron?" 

"It's settled," Ron said in disgust. "He's taking over Professor Lupin's. Is it really necessary for him to be with us?" 

"You can't comprehend how necessary it is, Ron," Fenix said rather firmly. 

"What happened? Is your friend all right?" Remus asked curiously. 

"Eliminated the wizards, the elf's in safe hands," Fenix answered rather hastily. "I'm sorry, Remus, but I feel so damn tired. I'm going to bathe and then I think I'll catch a nap." 

Fenix was halfway climbing up the stairs when she remembered to ask. "When is he arriving?" she yelled. 

"Friday!" Ron yelled back. 

__

That's good…probably by that time I could control myself not to smile…I'm really looking forward to my sleep. But first… She paused in the corridor and strengthened the protections in The Burrow. _Now…to my bath!_

**********


	18. Diagon Alley

**~ Chapter 18: Diagon Alley ~**   


**Wednesday, 16th August.**

"This is the first time ever that the kids are ready ahead of the appointed time," Mrs. Weasley beamed. "All thanks to you." 

"No prob," Fenix replied with a smile. On Ginny's insistence and the excuse that they will have at least a fifty-percent chance that they will bump with the Malfoys, the girls had forced Fenix to swear that she would wear something black on the day they make a trip down to Diagon Alley. Indeed, she was wearing her black Hunter garb, with Sirius's gift of a cloak. 

"Why do you let them bully you around?" Remus whispered roguishly in her ear. 

"It really doesn't matter. They're fun!" Fenix smiled and shrugged slightly. "How are you feeling?" 

"Better…but must I drink a lot of water before going to bed?" he grumbled a little. 

"Yes, you do. It actually helps to flush away those unwanted substances. Drinking adequate amount of water keeps you healthy anyway, so don't complain," Fenix looked at him, her eyes twinkling merrily. 

_ : You're looking good, :_ Sirius said in greeting as he joined all of them in front of the fireplace. 

"Ron, you go first," Mrs. Weasley said. 

For the past two days, ever since the students had received their booklists, they had not been talking about anything else except what Fenix could expect from Diagon Alley. When Mrs. Weasley informed her that they would go down by Floo Powder, Harry had pulled Fenix to one side and stressed on the do's and don'ts when traveling by the Floo Powder. The wolves offered to stay and guard The Burrow, along with the Elementals. They had assured Fenix that they would shield themselves with illusions while the rest of the household goes to get the students' their school materials. 

Mrs. Weasley called Fenix and the plump woman encouraged her to take a fistful of the powder. _I hope I do it correctly…_As soon as she uttered the name of the place and threw the powder, she felt herself consumed by the Fire. The crackling of fire around her was so loud that her ears turned numb after a while. As if she had been playing on a slide, she slid off on smooth marble floor. 

"Welcome to Diagon Alley, Assistant Professor!" Ron said spiritedly as he helped her up to her feet. Fenix wiped her face with a damp handkerchief tucked in her pocket and looked around cautiously. The fireplace belonged to a pub, and she paid careful attention to her surroundings. A couple of customers were nudging each other and soon, every pair of eyes turned to survey the newcomers. 

"There you are! Right on time too!" Mr. Weasley waved from the entrance of the pub. Murmurs of conversation died suddenly when Sirius emerged, stood up and then walked towards Fenix with the gracefulness of a noble. 

_ : Are they still afraid of him? :_ Fenix said softly in Remus's mind. 

_ : Probably. :_

"She's got damn silver eyes!" a feminine voice shrieked out suddenly and her companions made shushing noises, making the woman flush with embarrassment. 

_ : Is this the first time you've ever been here? : _Fenix asked Hermione's father. 

_ : Nope. But it is the first time we've ever used the Floo Powder, :_ the Fire Mage replied. 

Mr. Weasley led them off to a very crowded street. 

_ : I hate crowds. :_ Fenix looked about her with resignation. 

"Our first stop then, the Bank," Mr. Weasley announced and led them off to the direction of Gringotts, where their eldest son was currently working, with Sirius, Remus and Fenix taking the rear, watching people around them warily. 

Sirius ushered her in, and Fenix scrutinized the interior of the bank and looked impassively at the goblins. She followed Sirius as he went to a counter to first change Fenix's Muggle notes before leading her off to a counter where the rest were queuing. He tucked the bag of exchanged Galleons, Silvers and Knuts safely in his breast pocket. Remus tagged himself to Harry as Sirius presented his key to the goblin. 

"Welcome back, Mr. Black. One would have thought that the line of the Blacks have been considered extinct…" 

"Hmmm…might as well consider the name gone then…" Sirius shrugged. 

_ : How quaint, : _Fenix remarked. 

_ : I actually am considering to change my name… :_

_ : Forget it, brother. Once a Black, you'll forever be a Black. But what kind of Black you choose to be is up to you. :_

Their second stop was the bookstore where the students were to get their schoolbooks. Fenix loitered at the back with Remus, scanning through the titles of the various books that were on display. 

"Now what?" Mr. Granger asked around. 

"Visit the twins?" Fenix suggested. 

"Let's go then!" Mr. Weasley said with aplomb. 

"Dear Lord!" 

Fenix swerved her head to see a stocky boy hurrying towards them, ignoring the shouts of an elderly witch. 

"Neville!" the four other Gryffindor students exclaimed happily and hurried towards the boy. 

_ : Friend of theirs? :_

_ : I think so. :_

"He's really alive…" Neville whispered as he looked at Sirius with awe. "Good for you, Harry." 

"How's summer so far?" Hermione said softly. 

"Weird," Neville shrugged then looked apologetically at his fellow students. "I have to go before she starts to nag at anyone." 

"All right. You take care and we'll see you at the station on the First!" 

"Yeah!" Neville waved and quickly tailed the elderly woman. 

"They made it!" Fred looked cheerfully at them, moving off from the counter and excitedly invited them all in. 

"So? How do you find our shop?" George asked pointedly at his mother. 

"Oh, boys…" their mother said affectionately, still looking about their shop. 

Harry gleefully bought some of their inventions and whispered to Fred, "All in all, it's a good investment right?" 

"You bet!" Fred laughed and looked slyly at Fenix. "Not buying anything?" 

"Did you expect me to?" she asked lightly, examining a box of what looked like sweets curiously. 

"Fenix, you're disappointing me," Fred replied mournfully. The Fire Master chuckled softly under her breath. 

"Personally, I wouldn't recommend that," Fred said as he steered her away and led her to another cubicle, "although the rest of the stuff _are _real jokes, this is something you would never expect to find here." 

"You sell cookies too?" Ron was incredulous as he inspected every label, having followed his older brother. "I'm not sure if I would buy any of that if I were you," Ron advised and Fred snorted.   
  
"This are real deserts?" 

"Yes they are," Fred answered with dignity. 

"Who baked them?" 

"Us, of course…" Fred looked quizzically at her. 

"Well, I'd like to try number seventeen and…twenty-two…" Fenix decided. Fred briskly scooped some of the cookies into separate bags before putting them together in a larger bag. 

"My money's with Sirius," she informed the twin. As Fred led her and Ron back to the main cubicle of the joke shop, there were a few other customers beside themselves. Not surprisingly, most of them were students or friends, but not one of them seemed to be a Slytherin. 

"They're boycotting the shop," Fred interpreted her look on the students accurately. 

"I see." 

Sirius spoke aloud. "I want to go to the Quality Quidditch Supplies. I know the shopkeeper wants to meet Fenix." 

The group nodded their agreement and left the twins joke shop. They walked through the crowded street again and even in this shocking crowd, Fenix knew that they were being followed and watched. 

_ : Sirius, Remus…don't act so startled but someone's following us, :_ Fenix gave a silent warning.   
  
_ : It's a group of Slytherin students, Lady, : _Krill answered to the three of them. 

_ : Is there any chance I get to meet your cousin, bro? :_

_ : Probably… Here we are… :_

"Mr. Black! Welcome…welcome…have you brought the person with you?" the shopkeeper asked excitedly and at Sirius's nod, the man laughed gleefully. "The one who made the broom wishes to meet this person whom you've gifted the Ice Dagger." 

An elderly man walked slowly towards them and his half-blind eyes sought out Fenix's instantly. He gave a smile as he stopped a few feet away from her. 

"Yes…you are exactly the right person…take care of him now. Don't let him get on his own way far too often…" 

"Good day then, Master." 

"And a good day to you. May Phoebus watch out for you always…" 

"And may the Lady-Night bless you every day," Fenix said, smiling gently as she watched the man head out of the shop. 

_ : Lady! :_

_ : What is it? What has gotten you to be alarmed? :_

_ : Those Slytherin students! They had cast several multiple spells on the street directly in front of the shop. :_

"What's wrong?" Remus asked, his eyes instantly alert when Fenix frowned at the entrance. 

"The rest of you, stand back from the window. Mages, to me." Fenix said firmly. She silently communed with Hermione's parents and the three walked out casually, stopping a centimeter away from the trap-spells. 

Fenix scanned the crowd and watched coolly. There were several disdainful snickers coming from a group of Slytherin students (although she wondered how she was able to tell they were Slytherins) and two women among them watched, far away from the mingling crowd, their faces grinning maliciously. Fenix exchanged a glance with the two Mages. Their faces remained impassive as they held out their right hands and made a hooking movement, catching the spells in their hands and tugged at it, but not hard enough to break it. After a moment, the trap-spells began to glow faintly and the passing crowd stepped away from them. 

"Who did that?" one witch who was in the shop asked, reaching out for her wand to help. 

"Leave it to them," the maker of the Ice Dagger advised. 

The trap-spells were dissipating, much to the horror to the spell-casters. 

Fenix stared coldly at the culprits, and imprinted their faces in her memory. The three Mages stood their ground and the evildoers, finally realizing their precarious situation, quickly dispersed into the crowd. 

_ : It's safe. You could come out now, :_ Fenix said to Sirius and Remus. 

"Guess what? Your friend with the lily-hair tried to say hi, just now," Fenix said casually to the four of the Gryffindor students. 

"Oh, really?" Harry looked around to get a glimpse of Malfoy. "There he is…" he jerked his chin towards a boy in green. 

"Harry, dear, let's just leave," Mrs. Molly began uneasily. 

"Of course," Harry agreed. Remus and Mr. Weasley took the lead with the Grangers, Ron and Ginny in the middle. Harry was shielding Fenix carefully from the edge of the crowd. 

_ : Harry, what are you doing? : _She whispered in exasperation. 

_ : What? :_ Harry gave her an innocent look. 

_ : Never mind. _: Fenix gave up, keeping an eye on Harry. 

_ : How disappointing, :_ Harry sighed as he watched Draco Malfoy, and his mother went to Knockturn Alley, the one place Mrs. Weasley had forbidden her children to go, including the twins by saying '_Don't over-abuse you're freedom or you boys are going to get it from me.'_. _: I was rather wishing to shock her with you and Fenix. :_ Harry told his godfather. 

_ : Something had just occurred to me, : _Fenix began, and Harry gave her a puzzled look. _: I'm going to Hogwarts later, but what about Sirius? :_

Remus stopped dead in his tracks, looked back at Fenix, and gave her a tender smile before resuming his walk. 

_ : Why feeling insecure all of a sudden? : _Sirius asked lamely. 

_ : Sirius, I'm serious, : _Fenix looked back at him, her silver eyes gleaming brightly. 

_ : Don't worry, Dumbledore's given me a position in School too, :_ her oathbrother gave a very flashy smile, catching the attention of several girls. 

_ : Yes, Sirius's going to help Professor McGonagall with some of the classes. : _Harry added. 

_ : After yesterday, I feel a little uneasy without your presence but I know I shouldn't be worried about anything because of our bond, : _Sirius admitted suddenly. 

"Oh, Fenix," Mrs. Weasley called up and Fenix smiled gently at the woman. "This is the shop where Sirius bought your clothes. Do you want to step in?" 

_ : Well? :_ Fenix asked archly at Sirius. 

_ : Go on then, : _her oathbrother answered with a slight shake of his head. 

"Welcome to the Evening Sky, how may I help you?" a witch with a very hooked nose welcomed them and her eyes lit when she saw Sirius. 

"It's you? Coming here to buy something for your lover again?" 

Ron choked a laugh while the girls giggled. Fenix's mouth quirked up in a smile. "Lover, Sirius?" 

"It's her own conclusion so don't look at me like that." 

"I apologize for that," the woman smiled generously. "Now I see why he had chose the black dragon suit," the dressmaker eyed her. "Perfect body shape…not too feminine…seriously, there aren't enough men who knows how to please a lady…" 

_ : Take note, Moony, : _Sirius spoke to his friend in a patronizing tone. 

_ : Keep your mind shut, Padfoot. :_

"My name is Aerona Aisley, the owner and tailor of this shop. There is a selection that you might want to look at," the woman said, guiding Fenix to a lane where there was a whole range of suits. The rest of the women folk went separately to the different lanes, Ginny dragging Sirius along, and Harry followed Fenix curiously. A crimson red sleeve caught his eye and he pulled the suit out. 

"You don't have a bad taste yourself," Aerona said, looking very pleased. 

Fenix inspected the suit and was pleased to find the bottom pair was not a skirt. She inspected the sleeves, it was big enough to flow about her arms but not long enough that it would hinder her movements when speed and skill will be essential. 

"Do you think I would fit in these?" Fenix asked the tailor. 

"They will fit anything that puts them on! I created that spell. I don't really attract a lot of customers because my door usually blocks out a lot of people. It doesn't like snobs to enter the shop." 

"Fascinating!" Harry gave the woman a devilish grin. 

"Of course; I used to be in Gryffindor not a long time ago," Aerona whispered conspiratorially. Fenix laughed at the subtle hint as she picked out a zircon-colored sorceress robe. 

"Are you buying then?" Aerona asked with a pleased smile. 

"Yes, I am," Fenix answered dreamily tracing the intricate designs on the sleeves dreamily. 

"Are you a Scot?" 

"No, I am not…but my parents brought me to live in Scotland. Never thought of going back to live my life in Australia. I rather like the highlands." 

"I see…well…being a new customer and all…I would give matching cloaks for free." 

"Do I have to wear the cumbersome material?" Fenix sighed. 

"It's up to you," Harry shrugged, "but it's free anyway, isn't it?" 

"You're right," Fenix smiled and turned back to the tailor. "Do you have blouses and pants?" 

"Ah…you want mix-and-match clothes?" 

"Yes…and I'll see if the girls want anything," Fenix said. 

"Hey, what about Ron and me?" 

"Ask your godfather," she answered impudently. 

Harry shook his head in feigned disappointment and sauntered to the other end where the males had gathered. 

"Oh…don't worry about it, Ginny…we have more than enough to spare," Mrs. Weasley assured her daughter. 

"Save it, Molly," Fenix said to her, "I'm spending my money anyway. You can save that for emergencies." 

"You shouldn't!" 

"Don't argue with her," Mrs. Granger advised. "She'll probably slip you a few wizard money back in your pouch." 

"You're giving away secrets," Fenix accused. She turned to Ginny and Hermione. "Anything caught your eyes?" 

The two girls quickly grabbed the blouses and showed it to her. "Not bad," she complimented. "Sirius chose for you?" 

"Not really, he just rattled off what colors will suit us." 

Fenix spent several more minutes in picking up more blouses and several pairs of pants. She handed all of them to the tailor. "You could just pile all the girls stuff together. I'll be paying for them." 

"All right. If you don't mind, I'll handle their items first," Aerona said with a smile. 

They left the shop with cheerful faces when the tailor called them again. Since Fenix and Sirius was the last to leave, Aerona reached them first. 

"What's your name? Anyway this is my business card should you need more clothes." 

"Name's Fenix. Fenix Maxwell," she answered, pocketing the card in her back pocket. 

"I see," Aerona's eyes narrowed shrewdly. "Welcome to the Wizarding World." 

Fenix chuckled under her breath and waved goodbye as Sirius whisked her away to the Leaky Cauldron where they would go back to The Burrow via the fireplace, with a handful of bags and considerably lighter purses. 

********** 


	19. A Sleepless Night

**~ Chapter 19: A Sleepless Night ~**   


**Friday, 18th August. The Burrow…**

Fenix was lying on the bed, looking up at the silent moving gigantic posters of the Quidditch players. _Of all the time that my insomnia decides to kick in._ Fenix turned to her left and watch Remus's calm face and she smiled as she watched the slumbering wizard. Like Sirius after her constant watch, Remus's tired face was now etched with alertness rather than constant fatigue. 

_ He'll need a haircut soon, _she observed then pushed back his hair affectionately and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Then she turned to Sirius, her hand picking up his right hand and traced the pentacle mark. She pulled his palm towards her lips and kissed it before she wriggled out of bed as quietly as she could. 

_ : Where are you going? :_ Sirius complained sleepily. 

_ : Can't get to sleep. Be a good man and get some rest while you can. You need your wits about these few days, :_ Fenix sent her thought tenderly to her oathbrother. 

_ : Look who's talking, : _Remus joined in the conversation, cracking his left eyelid open. 

_ : Go back to sleep, you two. I'm going to do a bit of exercise… :_

_ : All right, but be careful, :_ Sirius said sleepily. 

_ : I will, : _Fenix promised, then gave them a brief mental caress as she changed to her Hunter gear. 

********** 

Harry was wakened by something he had heard. Heart pumping in his chest, he blinked his bleary eyes. He remained in bed, trying to listen for that same sound again. He identified the soft snores given by his roommate and the distant hoot of an owl that could be Hedwig. 

Then he heard it, a strange and eerie metallic sound. It sounded as if someone was playing a flute, and goose-flesh spread over his body. Harry remained in bed for fifteen more minutes and tried to ignore the strange musical sounds that ripped softly through the air. However, he found himself unable to sleep and felt a nagging thought that he should try to investigate. 

Quickly, he crept out of bed and reached for his glasses and wand. He opened the bedroom door slowly, hoping that it would not creak and sighed when it did not. It was dark in the corridor and he went down the stairs stealthily, putting his weight slowly on the boards. He wondered to himself why he was doing all of this and upon a quick reflection, he realized that he was mimicking Fenix as she moved about The Burrow. _She never hurries and always seems to walk very slowly and constantly creeps up behind Ginny and giving her a shock. _Harry smiled at the thought. Ginny had sworn revenge and constantly slipped the Weasleys' Mini-Popping Firecrackers in places that Fenix did not suspected. It was a general entertainment for them other than the evening Quidditch practices. 

He stood quietly in the darkness of the living room. _It seems to be coming from the backyard._ Harry quickly strode over to the kitchen and to his surprise, he found the door slightly ajar. 

_ : Morning, Harry, : _Fenix's mindvoice spoke softly in his mind. _: Shouldn't you be in bed? :_

_ : It's you! :_ He gave a start of surprise. 

_ : What? :_

_ : Nothing. Did you hear that peculiar strange music? :_ Harry asked, grabbing a stool and sat down. Crookshanks trotted out of the kitchen and leapt up to Harry's lap. The cat butted its head against Harry's chest. 

_ : You mean this? : _Fenix said with amusement. 

In the pale moonlight, Harry saw Fenix had gripped her sword with both hands and began a dance. She moved in a circle, swinging her sword back and forth and Harry found out to his astonishment that the eerie note came from her blade, each time she swung. It was strangely hypnotic and Harry fumbled for his pocket watch. It was three twenty-six and Harry still did not feel sleepy._ I wonder if the twins had invented something that will make you sleep…_

_ : Since you can't sleep anyway…care to exercise with me? : _Fenix spoke up, standing still on her two feet, her sword vanishing from her hand. 

_ : What kind of exercise? : _He asked warily. 

_ : Stunt works. Why don't you keep your wand somewhere safer? You won't be needing it until later… :_

Harry stared at the Fire Master for several moments before pushing Crookshanks off his lap before pulled his wand out and placed it on the stool. Then he felt a strange tingling sensation. 

_ : Don't worry, I just placed a little protective spell on it. :_

_ What does she mean by stunt works? Does she want me to learn how to use a sword? Huh, no use fretting about it, I'll just have to find out what she expects from me._ Crookshanks curled on the pavement and Harry crossed it carefully as it mewled inquiringly, tail twitching. 

Harry approached Fenix and suddenly he was aware that a huge shield had been erected over the two humans. He breathed calmly and came closer to her. She was smiling gently. 

_ : Still afraid to trust anyone, Harry? : _She questioned slowly, her mindvoice carrying her concern and sympathy to the young Potter. _: Not even yourself? :_

Harry took a step backward, his eyes betraying his emotions. He had no idea how she was able to deduce his hesitation accurately. He felt the wind wounding its way peacefully over the area and a strange kind of peace pierced through his soul. Harry had not confessed his feelings ever since Sirius had fallen through the Veil to anyone, not even his best friends. Somehow, in a yet peculiar way, the strange woman that had just entered their lives in an abrupt fashion actually seemed to understand what Harry was going through. 

_ : How could I trust myself when I had almost endangered their very lives, without careful consideration for my friends? I knew who I was. I know who I am. My very existence threatens the lives of all people that in subtlety were trying to protect me. But I didn't bother to tell anyone that I was having problems with Voldemort. I didn't tell Snape about all the dreams that I had shared with Voldemort! : _Harry 'yelled', his frustrations coursed through the mind-link. _: My godfather nearly died because of me! And he would, had he remained trapped. :_ the boy's mindvoice faded. 

_ : Why didn't they let me die, when I had a chance to? Isn't it better if it's just me who died? Ron's father nearly got himself killed last year. What am I supposed to say to them if any of their family members were killed because they were sheltering and protecting me? And what do I say to the parents, if their children die because they were insistent they would back me up if I'm in need? : _He vented his anger and grief, weeping silently. 

_ : And what makes you think it will be any safer for the people, who cared about you, if you die? : _Fenix ruthlessly pointed out. Harry stared at the Fire Master, unable to get a word out. :_ Professor Lupin had told me of the Prophecy. Sometimes these things can't be trusted but so far it's the truth isn't it? :_ She paused, trying her best to make Harry think about what was obvious. 

_ : I am not a savior for them! : _Harry lashed out, his heart grew heavier with guilt and uneasiness. 

_ : So you're not. But what if you _are _the peoples' last chance in regaining the balance between good and evil? : _Fenix argued_. : The Dark Lord had already chosen you as the other one. You're just going to back out? :_

_ : I did not ask for all of this, : _Harry whispered, collapsing on his knees. 

_ : Neither did I ask to be what I am, : _she knelt beside him, her eyes gleaming strangely in the moonlight. _: I remembered that I had constantly asked myself what's my purpose in Life. I didn't expect Him to come down and give me instructions, as I was too dense to see what's obvious, : _she raised her hand to lift Harry's chin so he would look directly into her eyes. 

_ : Most of us are left floundering in Life, our Purposes all unclear and shaded. Most Muggles think their only purpose is to have children but that is not true. Every second they spend will actually determine what happens to the future. :_ Fenix gave a melancholy sigh. 

_ : One of my purpose as I live, is to ensure that Life is balanced, Harry. The reason why I didn't interfere with the Dark Lord because I see you survive even after your parents were killed. I'm sure that you will ask; why didn't I eliminate Voldemort myself, since practically, he's the one who is responsible for the disruption of balance. I could actually, but I can't. I'm not allowed to interfere in this because this is just one of my sets of instructions that were given to me a long time ago, because of the fact that you're still alive and well. :_

_ : Does that mean that there are alternatives? :_

_ : Yes. If you die willingly, I see the Headmaster's power failing because he seeks his strength from you. If you gave up hope, why should _he_ hang on? And Voldemort will walk unhindered, killing those whom you loved and others you don't. :_

_ : But if I should die while battling him? :_

_ : Then someone else has to take over. It could be me, or it could be others. The whole point is this, :_ Fenix took a deep breath and went on. _: _He_ has given you a task through the words of the Seer. Are you going to fulfill your Purpose or are you giving up without even trying? :_

Harry closed his eyes, his shoulders trembling slightly. 

_ : Since you are alive and well, I have another set of instructions, which is to train and teach you to make use of every kind of resources, even if it's unorthodox and not approved by the wizarding world, : _Fenix said lightly and stood up. _: What say you? :_

Harry remained silent, his eyes still closed and thought deeply. _Voldemort isn't going to get into my mind, no matter what, because I have the means to shield my mind against him. At least, he wouldn't be able to use me again. And Fenix is right. Voldemort is a killer. Whom was I trying to kid anyway? Even if I successfully attempt a suicide, will that stop Voldemort from trying to tyrannize the rest of the world? Will my easy death make a difference to anyone?_

_ : You're right, Fenix. I wasn't thinking…at least if I do fight, it would make those who are against his cause even more determined to finish him once and for all. At least, that's what I hope, :_ Harry admitted gravely, opening his eyes and gave the Fire Master a smile. 

_ : I just have to make sure that doesn't happen until it's the Final Duel. That's why I'm here. Let me warn you; if you happen to get yourself killed before that, the war will be even be more messier than what's possible. Since I'm the one who'll be running around again in the future, I'm counting on you to make things more manageable, :_ Fenix said cheerfully. 

_ : This all seems like teamwork to me, :_ Harry mused, standing up and dusted his pants. 

_ : I thought that was obvious? :_

"Hey, I am not as wise as you are," Harry protested. 

"Who says I'm wise? I may have eons of experience but I do occasionally blunder," Fenix snorted. 

_ : So what about this shield? : _Harry asked her, gesturing at the peculiar sphere around them. 

_ : Precautions, : _Fenix shrugged then went on. _: Now, about stunts. I seem to remember that in a war, take note that I said war and not duel, there's a lot of dodging and footwork, very much like fencing. Therefore, I will teach you to use your body and brains to get yourself out of trouble when you can. :_

Fenix sent Harry dodging for his life when she flung Ping-Pong sized white fireballs at him. After a while, the Fire Master stopped and Harry gasped for breath. 

"Do you really…think…that will help me?" Harry panted. 

"Nope," Fenix said, and Harry stared stupidly at her, "but it will increase your reflexes." 

After Harry got his second wind, Fenix sent him to dodge again. "Good, you're moving faster on your feet." She paused to sniff at the air. "It will be dawn soon." 

_ : Why don't you get your wand? I'll lift the protection spell and we'll do some training using your wand. : _Fenix suggested. 

Harry picked up his wand and felt his hand tingled. In a second, the sensation was gone and Harry stood before the Fire Master again. Two fireballs of different colors appeared right before Harry. One was the same white while the other was green. 

_ : This is what I want you to do. The white fireball is a distraction, you're supposed to eliminate the green one. Use any spell you want but no curses, :_ she warned. 

_ : So you want me to dodge the white but destroy the green? :_

_ : Without getting singed, : _the Fire Master added. 

This was much harder than what Harry expected but it was much enjoyable now he had an objective. After several minutes of constant dodging, ducking and rolling and numerous _'Expelliarmus'_, Harry was getting better at controlling his movements. Harry thought he had heard a crack but ignored the sound from his mind as a green fireball chased him within the sphere. When he had finally blast the fireball off, did he realized that Snape and Dumbledore were standing behind Fenix. 

"Good morning. Didn't expect you to arrive so early," Fenix greeted calmly, and winked at the Headmaster who winked back merrily at her. 

"Carry on, Fenix. Harry seems to be quicker on his feet than he ever was," the Headmaster said in approval and Disapparated. The Potions Master was not so happy about what they had been doing. 

"What foolishness! Do you think that you could stand up with the Dark Lord with cheap tricks?" Snape hissed. The incident about his Dark Mark had made him look paler than as was normal. 

Harry stared coldly at the Potions Master. "At least in doing this, I'm achieving something else, rather than stand about doing nothing at all. I'm afraid this time I have to learn how protect my own life. I can't singly depend on people to look after me anymore." Snape's eyes widened at Harry's impassive voice. As Harry was talking, Fenix had dissolved the shield protecting them. 

_ : Let's give it a rest for now. And we'll resume our exercise later. : _Fenix said, and Harry nodded slightly. 

_ : Krill? :_

_ : We're on it. :_

Snape's trunk suddenly floated by itself and began to move into The Burrow. 

"The others are still in bed. Should I prepare some breakfast for you?" Fenix asked politely.   
  
"Very well," Snape grated and followed where his trunk was going. 

_ : Can I go and wash up first? : _Fenix asked Harry. 

_ : Yeah. :_

_ : All right. You don't have to stay awake. Why don't you get some sleep? :_

_ : I'm not leaving you alone with the Potions Master if I can help it. :_

_ : I think you've let Sirius influence you a bit too much, :_ she grinned crookedly as Harry bolted the door. 

********** 


	20. Living with Snape

**~ Chapter 20: Living with Snape ~**

Fenix was listening attentively as she mended clothes from Harry, Remus and Sirius. Hermione was talking about life at Hogwarts and its peculiarities. _It seems that there were a lot of new things in the castle,_ she thought. Professor Snape was sitting by the window as he read a reference book, staring at the pair occasionally. Ron was out to degnome the garden with the usual company, this time with Sirius along. 

Ron had been scolded by three women earlier and was taking out his frustration on the gnomes as he hit them hard with a bat. It was bad enough that Hermione had hissed at him, it was even worse when Fenix rebuked him harshly, though softly so that they would not be heard by the Potions Master as he worked in the living room. 

"Do not speak of things you do not understand. Listen carefully, Ron. Professor Snape is not a Death Eater anymore," she had said, in a quiet, deathly voice. 

"But that does not mean he can be trusted. He still has the Dark Mark!" Ron argued just as softly. 

"So what? He can be…if you just have the guts to let him. Tell me this, even when he does make threats, has he ever intended that he would like to dispose you?" Fenix asked. 

"Yes…he threatened to expel Harry from Hogwarts." 

"That wasn't what she meant, idiot!" Hermione gave him a light punch. "Professor Snape has never threatened to kill any of us," she said to Fenix. 

"Exactly. Whatever the Potions Master's past was like, he was given a second chance by the Headmaster. So from now, I want you to keep your opinions to yourself while he is with us." 

"Fenix is right," Mrs. Weasley agreed firmly. 

_ : Hey, what did you girls do to Ron? His face is all red and he gave a very splendid whacking of the gnomes, :_ Sirius mindvoice was tinged with concern and curiosity. 

_ : I had just given him a bit of advice on Snape. :_

_ : Oh, I understand now. Do you think _he'll_ be really safe here? : _Sirius asked casually, as Fenix felt his moment of exhilaration as he hit a gnome. 

_ : As long as I'm keeping my eyes open, : _she broke off the contact and asked Hermione incredulously. "Ghosts? Hermione, did I just heard you say poltergeist just now?" 

"Yes, I did. Peeves is the poltergeist, sometimes much a nuisance to everyone but he was particularly helpful last year," Hermione said hastily, after the Potion Master gave her a penetrating glance. 

"I see," Fenix answered, then suddenly gave a strangled yell and accidentally pricked her finger with the sewing needle, startling the Potions Master from his reading. 

"Moony!" Fenix yelled out, and Remus poked his head at the door, looking slightly abashed. "Don't use me as your guinea pig! If you want to experiment, just do it with the wolves!" 

"What's a guinea pig?" Remus asked curiously. 

"Forget it," Fenix sighed and got up to wash her bleeding finger. Remus went back to his training with the wolves that were trying to teach him a way to retain his mind even when he transforms to a werewolf. "Can boys ever grow up to be men?" 

"I don't think we want to," Harry answered as he stepped into the kitchen, sweating slightly from the exertion of running around after gnomes. 

Fenix's cut finger healed within an instant and she went back to the living room to resume her mending. She gave a disappointed look at Hermione and sighed again. "There goes my wish in getting married to a mature man." 

"Don't bother wasting your time waiting for them to grow up. If you find a man you like, just get married to him," Mrs. Weasley advised, as she laid out a pot of tea for everyone, along with custard puffs and the cookies that Fenix had bought from the twins. 

Sirius came into the living room and poured himself a cup of tea. "You women are mature enough for three men. It would certainly be dull if there's no humor about the household." 

"In a way, Sirius is right," Mrs. Granger observed as she sat down on the floor to help with the mending, then looked slyly at Fenix. "It's a good thing Remus has a good sense of humor." 

"Shut up." 

"That seems to be a favorite phrase this summer," the Air Mage remarked. 

"Have some tea, Severus," Mrs. Weasley invited. 

"No, thank you." 

Mrs. Weasley looked a bit disappointed but went back to her kitchen. Fenix exchanged a glance with Sirius as he and Harry sat down on wooden stools, looking at the women. The living room was filled with uneasy tension until Ron came down, freshly dressed and squatted next to Fenix. 

"I'm sorry," he said gruffly. 

"Whatever for?" 

"I was rude." 

"Okay," Fenix said then smiled at him. "Can't stand being given the cold shoulder?" 

"Not if I can help it." 

_ : Somebody try to involve Severus in the conversation, :_ Fenix moaned silently. It was a little crowded in the living room when Ginny joined them, with Pig cuddled against her and Hedwig gliding silently and aimed straight for Harry. 

_ : What if he doesn't want to be included? :_ Harry pointed out, as his owl landed carefully on his shoulder. He scratched Hedwig's head, and the owl gave a silent hoot in contentment and began to nibble his ear gently. 

Sirius was about to say something when Fenix slightly grew pale, and Sirius felt a strange echo in his mind. The Fire Master really looked like as if she wanted to blow something up and she abandoned her chore in a huff, striding silently towards the kitchen and went out. 

A few minutes later, they heard her yell at the embarrassed werewolf, who was trying to pacify her, but was failing miserably. 

"Sirius, shouldn't you go and…" Hermione pointed out to the door. 

"Are you joking? Let her take her peeves on him for once. But I wonder why she's mad at him…" Sirius mused, ignoring the look Snape was giving him. Then they heard her scream, this time at the wolves. 

"Can't you give him the practical first before the theory work? You're mixing too many stuff about me so that's why every time he tries to link with you, the link reaches me instead," Fenix said loudly in aggravation. 

"I understand now," Sirius smirked. 

_ : What is it? :_ Harry asked curiously. 

"That fellow was thinking too much about her," Sirius hinted and the group--except for Snape who was looking at them curiously--nodded their comprehension, smiling, trying hard not to snigger. 

********** 

They had spent the rest of the day with Sirius and Remus helping the students recall their spells and Professor Snape did occasionally insert a few helpful comments. Dinner went on as usual, with the twins informing the members of anything that has been going on in their business district. 

"Well, business had sort of slowed down a bit, but hope it doesn't get much worse than that," Fred said. 

"I wonder how Percy's doing," Mrs. Weasley sighed. She got up from the dinner table and started to clean the table. Even Snape knew enough to keep his silence than to bring Mrs. Weasley into a bout of tears. 

_ : Fenix? :_   
  
_ : Aldren! :_ Fenix suddenly smiled, much to the surprise of everyone. _: How's Giana? :_

_ : She's okay, but complains too much, much to your sister's horror. Sometimes, she's just like you. So is everything all right? How are things going with you and the werewolf? :_

_ : Yeah, we're all right, and _it's_ going a bit slowly, but we're fine with it, : _she replied then absently spoke to Sirius. "It's Aldren, why don't you link in with me?" 

_ : Hello there, elf? What kind of mischief have you gotten yourself into this time? : _Sirius asked. 

_ : Who says I'm in trouble? :_

_ : How are you doing? :_

_ : Everyone is all right. Derian wants to tell you both that Giselle's with child, : _Aldren's mindvoice was excited. 

Fenix and Sirius exclaimed at the same time. "What!" Fenix's eyes went round in disbelief. "Bloody hell! This I am not expecting…" 

_ : You had better tell Derian that he must take care of my sister. I want to be an aunt, : _ Fenix said sternly. 

_ : Other than that, wait release Sirius, this is only between you and Giana. :_

_ : All right! I'm budging out. : _Sirius pulled away from Fenix's mind and waited patiently. Fenix was silent, her face immobile other than her occasional blinking of her eyes. 

_ : Okay. How did your father take it? :_

_ : As well as I could, Ruis, :_ Mineif's mindvoice intertwined with Aldren's. 

_ : So, that is all. Call on us anytime you like. No recent Dementor sightings, but we're not going to let our guard down. Love you two, :_ Aldren said. 

_ : All right, give my love to Giselle and Derian. Take care! : _Fenix responded with a smile. They released their link and she gave an amused look at her oathbrother. 

"I thought she had said that she doesn't want any until she turns thirty," Sirius remarked. 

"Well, it's either they had planned for it or it happened accidentally," Fenix replied in good cheer then she frowned. "Maybe I should go down the Grove and pester them to get married A.S.A.P." 

Sirius leaned back, stretched and gave her a languid smile. "Do that, but only after that elf of hers had already proposed to her." 

"So, anybody wants to play chess with us?" Ginny asked, looking to everyone including Snape. 

"Consider me out. I'm lousy at board games," Fenix informed them. 

"I'm in," Remus said, heading on towards the living room. 

"Sirius?" Ginny asked hopefully and he ruffled the girl's hair. 

"Yeah, I think I'd like to challenge Ron later." 

"I wonder when Mad-Eye's coming again," a silky voice sighed with disappointment. 

The Mages exchanged a glance and Fenix said contritely, "I have no comments." 

Mrs. Weasley came back and told the rest of them that she was going to bed and her husband followed her in concern. 

"I think Percy deserves some punches for making mom worry. I haven't seen her so crestfallen until now," Fred said seriously, giving a penetrating glance at Bill, the eldest of the Weasley siblings. 

"What did you want me to do? He slammed the door up against Charlie and me when we tried to persuade him to come back. He doesn't even say 'hi' to dad at the Ministry." 

"It'll serve him right if this family alienates him completely. But I'm not going to wait for him to clear up his mind," Ron said firmly, pushing himself off his seat and went to join Professor Lupin. Fenix got up and stared at Snape, with a peculiar expression on her face. 

"Professor Snape? Could I have a moment with you?" she asked, pausing at the door that leads to the yard behind it. The Potions Master looked shocked at first, but slowly grew suspicious. Fenix gave a very stern look at Sirius and then at the group still in the kitchen. 

"No eavesdropping from any of you," she said in a strict voice and went out to stand beneath a dark blue sky, and she smelled the strong scent of rain. 

"What is it that you want?" the Potions Master asked in a slow drawl, sneering slightly. 

"Come away from the door, I don't trust the twins all that much. A devious pair those two," Fenix said, for the twins' benefit that was strangely keeping silent. Fred managed to give her a hateful glare before he pulled George and Sirius from their seats and dragged them to the living room. Fenix enclosed herself and the Potions Master with another shield, expanding itself outwards. 

"This is a sound-proof shield. I don't think you want the others to have this particular knowledge," Fenix said, and Snape's interest perked up. 

"Ceridwen had sent a message. She says you are not to listen to _him _and ignore the dreams, and asks you to fulfill your promise to her that you had made before you parted almost hundred and forty-four months ago," Fenix repeated Giana's message word for word, her face inscrutable. 

"And how do I know, it's really from her?" Snape hissed, his eyes telling her that he was surprised. 

"I already know the password. Now, let me see…ah…yes…on Monday sometime about midnight…my Gift of Foresight manifested…she was captured by your ex-colleagues, and this man by the name of Lucius dragged her to present her to _him_. Said _he_ would break her…for _you_ he says," Fenix paused, as Snape's eyes darkened with suppressed anger. "I'm not a Seer who makes predictions, I sometimes see the future…or maybe alternative futures…and live briefly in that vision. You want to know what Giana said to you in the vision?" she said in a cool voice and went on. "This is what she said, _'You broke off your connection with Voldermort a long time ago! Snap out of it Bréanainn!'_ Of course you can't really expect me to imitate her voice," she said matter-of-factly. 

"Bréanainn. It's quite a beautiful name. I wonder why your parents named you Severus first," Fenix tilted her head in inquiry. Then she shrugged. 

"My father insisted on it." 

"I see. Well, that's all she said to me." Fenix made a move to dispel the shield when Snape spoke again in a whisper. The wind was picking up, Snape's cloak flapping in the strong wind. 

"She is all right?" 

"Yes, just a few cracked ribs. She's under the protection of the Grove. Let's go back in. It'll be raining soon." 

********** 

"George, pass me those cookies won't you?" Fenix requested mildly. Fred was still mad at her and was not talking to her. The drizzle that had just fell from the skies the moment Snape reentered the house had turned into a downpour. The Weasley siblings were trampling about as quickly as they could to close the windows about the house. 

Fenix was wearing the blue-gray scarf that Aldren had gifted her as her Salamander fetched it and the scarf floated towards her, much to Snape's bafflement. He was reading another book and Hermione had been staring at the pile of books on his feet with a weird kind of hunger all night. Ron and Harry shook both their heads in exasperation as they averted their attention from the current match of Harry's godfather and his best friend. As if he had been aware of Hermione's covert glances at his books, the Potions Master casually reached out for a thick book and nodded to Hermione. She jumped excitedly and squealed in delight as the Potions Master entrusted her the book. 

"Your girlfriend is so easy to please, Ron," Remus said casually, not looking up from the chessboard. "When her birthday comes, just find a book you know that she probably couldn't have read and she'll love you for life." 

"Professor Lupin!" Ron and Hermione responded, looking aghast. Snape raised an eyebrow at Remus's comment but went on to read his book. Fenix reached out for a cookie and winced when a couple Mini-Popping Fireworks went off. She pulled back her fingers and looked at them critically. Tendrils of electricity connected three of her fingers and she sighed and waited patiently for the electricity to wear off. Ginny chuckled nastily. 

"You still have a bit to catch up, Ginny," Fred commented in Fenix's defense, finally smiling at the relieved Fire Master. 

"By how much?" Ginny demanded her brother. 

"I think…about seven sneakings." 

"Damn!" Remus swore. 

Sirius grinned and slowly said, "Checkmate." 

"Don't stay up too late, kids," Mrs. Granger said as she pulled her husband up to his feet. "Night everyone." 

"Night!" 

Before Harry knew it, he was suddenly nodding off. He jerked himself awake. _Maybe I should get myself to a real bed._

"I'm going up, too. Night." 

"Wait up," Fenix joined him. "I'd like to get some sleep. Ginny…be very careful tomorrow…" she gave the young girl an evil smile. _: Night, guys, : _she sent her thought to the werewolf and her oathbrother. 

"Night, Fenix," Hermione replied absently. 

"Ronald Weasley…it's time," Sirius called out. 

********** 

The youths and the wolves had long ago went to bed. The rain had not ceased; huge raindrops continued splattering down The Burrow. Once in a while, lightning lit the living room eerily. Sirius was sitting languidly on the floor, slowly sipping a mug of Butterbeer. 

"Do you want some, Severus?" Remus asked, holding his wand in handy. Snape gave a tight nod and pulled his chair closer to the fire. Snape winced when the mark on his arm burned intolerably. He took a deep breath and clenched his fist tightly. 

"What's that mark on your palm?" Snape inquired, trying his best not to sound eager. 

"You mean this?" Sirius held out his right palm lazily. "It's quite strange actually," he smiled dreamily. "It's a sign of our oathbond. We slashed our palm with a dagger." 

"But how is it a star, and not a diagonal slash?" Remus asked curiously. 

"I have no idea, Moony. In fact, I don't think Fenix knows either." 

"Good evening," a voice suddenly spoke out from the fireplace. 

"Good evening, Dumbledore," three voices answered at once. 

"I see that you are all okay. I am here because of two things. One: some officials were complaining about your demand to pull out the Wolfsbane potion," the Headmaster addressed the Potions Master. Then his face turned to Harry's godfather. "Two: it is about your legacy, Sirius." 

"You mean my house?" 

"Yes. What do you intend to do with it?" 

"I haven't made up my mind yet. I guess that Fenix and Harry would influence my decisions a bit." 

"I see you all are growing fonder of her, except maybe for you Severus…but this will take a little bit of time to manifest." 

Sirius snickered while Remus gave an almost beatific smile, much to Snape's astonishment. 

"Anyway, I would like to have another meeting there, with the full Order, and with Fenix with us, since she will play an important figure in ensuring our students' safety. We'll hold that meeting on the twenty-seventh. I will make the necessary preparations to ensure that _the place_ is secure." 

"Is Kreacher still sticking around?" 

"Yes, he is. I wonder… Do you think your oathsister will be able to do something about your mother's portrait? It will be rather nice to walk about the house in silence…" 

"I dunno…maybe she'll be able to think about something…" 

"And of course, Severus. You will be tagging along too. Fenix is rather insistent about that. I will contact you again by Fawkes when _the place_ is ready." Dumbledore's face vanished from the fire. 

Snape frowned. _Does she know? _He massaged his still-burning arm distractedly. 

"Yes she does know about you," Sirius said softly. "Don't argue with her when she tries to change you," he cautioned. "She's doing all of this for your own health." 

"Just a tiny bit of warning though," Remus got up from his stool, his eyes reflecting the fire eerily as he addressed the Potions Master directly. "Do not make life difficult for yourself here. Enjoy this little bit of respite while you still can. And keep yourself sound, mind you. Harry needs all the help he can get for the appointed day, whenever that will be." 

********** 

It was gloomy and chilly in the morning the next day. Now that they were all going to be trapped indoors as it rained, Ginny was thinking very hard about something to do that she had forgotten Fenix's warning. Nobody noticed that the Fire Master was already committed in creeping up behind her that it was already too late to warn the female Weasley. 

"Crap!" Ginny suddenly yelped when Fenix tapped her shoulder suddenly. 

"Don't worry, Ginny. You still have about two weeks to go…or until you run out of Fireworks." 

Sirius was talking quietly with Mrs. Weasley over breakfast with Remus keeping a watchful eye on Harry ever since Snape had made the living room into an ephemeral office. Hermione was reading with the Potions Master's book on her as she ate her breakfast. Harry shook his head at Hermione, so intent on the book, not even distracted by the commotion between Ginny and the Fire Master. 

Harry did not fell asleep straight away yesterday. He had lied in bed thinking about Professor Snape and wondered why the Headmaster trusted him. He carefully repeated what Fenix had said to Ron yesterday. _I wonder how she knows about Snape. I know that Sirius had probably told her some stuff about him but why is it that she is so sure that Snape won't turn his back against us, or Dumbledore?_

Harry looked about him as he sat down on the floor in the living room, wearing a baggy T-shirt and faded jeans and Crookshanks settled itself on Harry's lap and began to doze. He did not mind a bit; the cat's soft purring comforted him in a way._ It feels as though I do have a family here. And Sirius, having him back makes me feel more real in a way, now he isn't looking at me as if I'm my father. And Fenix…_ Harry examined the black-haired woman carefully, whom he at first, considered to be of a cold nature. Now, though, Harry found that he liked her a lot. _Maybe it's because she's the first person I've ever met who doesn't look at me like a super-hero of some kind,_ Harry thought in amusement and grinned, unaware that Snape was looking at him carefully. 

The wolves slowly sauntered in and both of them curled up against Fenix. Her eyes was fixed on the eyes belonging to the great silver wolf, and glanced sheepishly at Remus, whom had lifted his eyebrow in inquiry. The subtle romance that was going between the two of them seemed to be amusing everyone, including Harry and he chuckled to himself. 

"Harry? What's funny?" Ron asked suspiciously. 

"It's nothing," he assured his best friend but Ron remained unconvinced. 

Snape placed his book back on the floor and leaned comfortably in his chair, silently scrutinizing the activities that were going about him. He was a bit shocked when he had found out that Sirius and Remus were actually sleeping in the same room with Fenix, due to the excuse that they had to make way for Snape. However, he recollected what Dumbledore had said about Fenix and Snape suspected that Fenix was in fact Healing the werewolf to get rid of the toxic effects of the Wolf's Bane. 

Sirius came into the room and abruptly announced that they will be going to the Blacks, and instructed them to start packing, because the Headmaster would call on them to move out anytime, much to the youths' chagrin. 

_ : Sirius, what's going on? : _Fenix lifted her face to look at her oathbrother in inquiry. 

_ : I don't think I've told you that my house was used for the meetings of the secret organization, :_ Sirius pursed his lips thoughtfully,_ : I hadn't right? :_ Fenix nodded her head in agreement. 

_ : I see. Are we having a meeting or something? : _She asked and leaned against Sirius. 

_ : Yes. Dumbledore's making sure that the place is safe for us to return there. We are having a meeting with the full Order. : _Sirius squeezed her lightly, and kissed the top of her hair absently. 

_ : Hey, Remus's supposed to be the one doing that, :_ Fenix protested lightly, giving Remus a sly look and the werewolf blinked his eyes innocently. 

_ : I think I have been cruel to him, :_ Sirius said abruptly, excluding Remus out of the conversation. _: I've never considered myself to be in his shoes. I never did imagine what my life would be like if I was a Death Eater and then to stab the Dark Lord in the back. Takes a lot of guts to do that. Listen to me? I'm admiring a childhood enemy! :_

_ : Then stop looking at him as one, :_ Fenix suggested mildly. _: But I'm glad you see at least a partial truth now. Voldemort's hold on him is still strong, which is surprising. Until Snape proves himself worthy to Dumbledore's cause, the taint of his past will stay with him. :_ She stretched, taking a custard puff in one hand. 

_ : Harry seems to understand what the Potion Master is going through. I think now he understands just how much Snape is placing his life in danger, in remaining a teacher in Hogwarts and constantly keeping an eye on Harry, : _Sirius observed. 

"Damn, I nearly had forgotten!" Fenix exclaimed suddenly, sitting upright. Harry stopped his silent musings and finally realized that Snape was not even reading anymore, merely watching them in silence. _That's a good sign that he's at least paying attention to us now, as what we are and not as students…_

Fenix was trying to remember something and they watched her with impatience. She snapped her fingers and began. "Sorry about this, I had intended to inform you people of the wizards…or more precisely…" Fenix glanced at Snape briefly. "Death Eaters, that the elves and I had eliminated. There were three of them," she paused when Harry raised his hand timidly. 

"How did you know they were Death Eaters?" 

"I'm a Hunter and an Empath. I thought I've told you before but for the Potions Master's sake, I'll repeat that being a Hunter allows me to look through one's soul." Fenix gave a measuring look at Snape and continued her previous sentence. "As I was saying, the three Death Eaters that were eliminated that day was a Hudson, Dolohov--I think--and…I think it's Lestrange." 

Harry's eyes suddenly lit up in fierce anger as the word Lestrange came out of from her mouth. "The Lestrange was a male right?" Fenix nodded and suddenly went cold when Harry gave a satisfied and evil smile. 

"Harry!" Fenix called up sharply, startling everyone else. Fenix narrowed her eyes as Harry began to shake. Finally realizing that he was acting abnormally. 

"Fenix!" Harry gasped, staring at her in shock and panic. "Why am I thinking about all these things?" Then he continued in mindspeech._ : Why do I feel as if I am enjoying it? :_ He almost could not put a thought coherently for her. 

Fenix tilted her head to one side, as she looked penetratingly at Harry. "It seems that you have a very strong bond with the Dark Lord; much like a bond twins have. I want you to empty your head of all thoughts and just think deeply into your soul, you will find the answer. Do it in the way I taught you to shield your mind." Her oathbrother was about to pose a question at her but snapped his mouth shut when she gave him a very fierce look. 

_ Crack!_

Professor Dumbledore Apparated in and smiled at the group. "Moody, Tonks and Kingsley will be escorting you all to The Place. You'll be moving out on the twenty-second, so plenty of time to pack." 

"Oh! Finally!" a silvery voice piped up shrilly. Fenix shook her head in disbelief at Arenii. 

"I assume we'll be going there by broomsticks?" she asked shrewdly. 

"Yes. Unless you want to build a Po--" 

Sirius quickly interrupted with a 'No'. 

"Well then. Moody will come down tomorrow to get a few of the trunks across first so that you wouldn't be overloaded when it's time for you to move fast." 

"Sound thinking," Sirius approved. "I think Remus and I'll help in getting them across." 

"But he is staying," Fenix asserted, staring intently at Snape. 

"And how will you ensure that?" Snape asked sneering slightly. 

"Most easiest way is to use my sword to knock you out senseless, of course. No point wasting magic when physical exercise can ensure the same thing. Are you listening, Harry? You have to make the best use of your resources, no matter how insignificant they may look." 

"I think it may be wise if you just follow her instructions, Severus, and save yourself from a pounding head. I'll see you all at The Place," the Headmaster said them. 

"Were you really serious or were you joking? About hitting Severus, I mean," Remus asked delicately. 

"Am I the type of woman who jokes around easily?" 

"No, you're not," Remus conceded, edging away from her slowly. 

"That's new," Ron observed shrewdly. 

********** 

**Sunday night, 20th August. The Burrow…**

_ : You guys. Be careful all right. :_ Fenix pulled Sirius and then Remus to an affectionate embrace. Nymphadora Tonks was looking at the three of them with bafflement. She whistled when Sirius presented his Firebolt. 

"Hey, Harry? Why can't you lend me?" Tonks called out in disappointment. 

The boy cocked his head to one side, not able to comprehend her question. "Lend what?" 

"That," Tonks gestured at the Firebolt that Sirius was carrying. 

"Ah…that isn't mine…Sirius bought it…" 

"Just right after his successful hearing," Bill added helpfully. 

"I am so crushed," Tonks sighed. 

Snape was sitting in the living room calmly. He watched Fenix and Harry crowding at the entrance door. 

"I miss them already," Fenix sighed plaintively. 

"You're not being fair, you know. At least they're not going on a rescue mission, like you, whose life may be on balance," Harry pointed out and led her to the living room. He gracefully poured two mugs of hot chocolate. 

_ Lady-Night and Phoebus, God of the Sun, watch over them all._ Fenix gave another sigh and looked up in surprise when Snape handed she and Harry some books. 

"Since you are waiting for their return, use your time fruitfully." 

Harry suppressed a sigh and with a heavy heart opened a Potions book. Fenix was already engrossed in hers and they spent their time reading--with Harry daydreaming more about Quidditch practices-- than the spidery writing of the Potions book. 

"What? Studying already?" Ron looked disappointedly at them. 

"Seriously, Ron. After five years in being a student, I thought you ought to have got the hang of studying," Hermione shook her head affectionately, her hair braided neatly by Fenix. 

"You should enjoy your student life more, Ron," Fenix agreed absently. "When I graduated from university, I was really apprehensive to take up the next step in life, meaning full-time work…" 

Ron echoed Harry's silent sigh and the Potions Master handed him another book. The living room fell silent, and the atmosphere turned peaceful, as they engaged themselves with a bit of learning, the silence occasionally punctuated by the rustling of pages, mainly by Hermione and Fenix, and the Potions Master himself. For now, they had been entrusted in Snape's care. By being together in the same room without Harry and Ron shooting hateful little glances at Snape, and the Potions Master was not breathing down their necks like a vindictive dragon, they set up a truce. Fenix gave an inward smile at what she Felt from the group. 

_ : That's a relief, :_ she commented to her far-away oathbrother. _: They're all healing. :_

_ : Good news…now let me concentrate about where I'm flying so I can come home soon. :_

_ : The bed is already beckoning to me, : _Remus's mindvoice filled her mind with a distant aching. 

_ : Yes…come home soon. : _Fenix returned her attention to read the book on the various herbs used in Potions. 

********** 


	21. Death and Redemption

**~ Chapter 21: Death and Redemption ~**   


**Tuesday, 22nd August. At The Burrow…**

It was calm inside The Burrow as Harry and the rest waited patiently for their escort after dinner. Having Snape about The Burrow was not a disaster, just as long they ignore most of his cutting remarks. Occasionally, Fenix's temper did flare a little but she controlled her tongue and just gave the Potions Master a piercing stare whenever she was vexed with his behavior. 

The twins had already Apparated with Bill, with their various pets, including Harry's owl, to the rendezvous point where Professor McGonagall and Tonks were keeping watch where they will head down to The Place with full protection. The next to move out will be those who possessed flying broomsticks--the students of Hogwarts, Remus, Sirius, Severus and Fenix and the last group to move out were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the Elemental Mages and the wolves. Since the Grangers' did have a car, they had offered to drive to the rendezvous point and Mr. Weasley nodded in appreciation. 

All of them--those who will be out riding their brooms--were totally dressed in black from head to toe, accomplished with black coats. It would have been perfect if Hermione and the Weasleys have pure black hair just like the most of them. Harry was aware that Fenix was looking at him with a pensive look on her face. 

"What's up?" Harry asked her curiously. 

"Your hair's getting too long for that Armani hairstyle," Fenix explained. 

"I don't think we have time to give him a hair-cut," Ron cautioned. 

"I wasn't thinking about doing it now, Ron," Fenix replied patiently. "Sirius and Remus could do with one too, so I'll do something about it when we are free." Then she rolled her eyes in exasperation when her hair came loose and the Salamanders began brushing her hair. 

"Don't I look like a spoilt brat?" she complained, then sighed as the Salamanders pulled her hair back and braided her hair. 

"You don't want hair whipping about your face, don't you?" Krill pointed out loudly for all of them to hear. 

"Yes, I know that…but why can't you let me braid my own hair?" the Fire Master protested. 

"What illusion are the wolves going to take?" Mrs. Granger asked Fenix as she waited impatiently in The Burrow. 

_ : A pair of extremely big and heavy large suitcases of course, :_ Silver replied. 

_ "Alastor's back!"_ an excited giggle emerged from behind Mrs. Granger. 

"What's so good about Moody?" Sirius addressed the silvery voice belonging to Arenii lightly, though he sounded injured to Harry. 

"Because he's very unique…why else?" 

"I give up…" Sirius muttered to himself. 

Moody landed on the turf gracefully with two other members of the Order. Fenix calmly took her backpack and the Ice Dagger floated towards her. The four students greeted Moody happily and he gave a grandiose bow at Fenix. 

_ : Let's go sister, :_ Sirius said as he mounted his Firebolt. 

_ : You four, : _Fenix's thought reached the wolves and the Mages,_ : keep both eyes open and set your Elementals on watch. :_

_ : Safe journey, Fenix. :_

_ : And to you. Phoebus watch over you. :_

_ : All clear is clear, though there are three more of the wizards a little northeast from here. I think they're the rear guard or something of the sort, :_ Krill informed the Fire Master. Moody was flushing with embarrassment again as the invisible Arenii clung to him. 

"Moody, who are the three up above? Northeast?" 

"That's Kingsley Shacklebolt and Fearn and Blade McNoel," Moody replied in his harsh voice. "You two," he barked at his two other companions, "this is Fenix Maxwell, and the newest member of the Order. Dumbledore's order: if she says something, don't ignore her, or you'll get it from me." Then he introduced her to the two, who was looking at her warily. 

"This is Wenda Aderweed," Moody jerked his chin towards a beautiful witch with extremely short hair and very blue eyes. "And this is Conal Bryson," he gestured at the bald-headed wizard, with a face that looked like a hungry wolf, ready to ambush. 

"Fenix Maxwell." The Fire Master tilted her head slightly towards both of them. 

"She's not a witch, right?" Conal said in a condescending tone. "Then how do you expect her to use a broom successfully?"   
  
The witch named Wenda blinked her eyes in disbelief, while Ron gaped stupidly at the wizard's insulting tone. Remus stood rigidly, as the even-tempered wizard began to bristle. Hermione looked nervously at Sirius whose face was growing black by the seconds and the four Gryffindor students of Hogwarts steeled themselves for the riposte that was about to fall on the unsuspecting wizard. 

"What? Very well. Fenix, give me the broom. Then you can transform to the Phoenix. I'm sure you're much more comfortable flying with real wings than riding that broom of yours anyway," the werewolf said flatly, his brown eyes turning black in the darkness. Fenix remained quiet. There was no way she could say anything without making the situation worse. 

"Mr. Bryson must be new to the Order," Snape remarked casually. 

"This is the wrong time to entangle yourselves in an argument," Moody grated, his magical eye giving a penetrating stare at the dumbfounded Conal. "Conal, ride up front with Fearn. Be assured the Maxwell knows well enough to fly that broom or Sirius wouldn't have gotten it for her," Moody's voice took on a dismissing tone. 

Moody went business-like then and shot out instructions to the present company. "Severus, Harry and the three of you," he looked at the Gryffindor students, "you five will ride in the center. Wenda, you'll ride behind the five. Kingsley, Blade, Remus and myself will flank you and I assume that Sirius and Fenix want to take the rear. Clear?" 

Nods of assents went round. Fenix was looking at Moody with awe. 

_ : He should be a general. :_

_ : He _is_ the commander of the escort, : _Sirius pointed out. Conal and Wenda took to the air first, followed by the center and Moody and Remus following closely then separated to flank the group. Sirius and Fenix kicked off the ground at the same time, waving a quick goodbye to the last group. 

_ : It's a good thing this time that we don't have any luggage to slow us down, : _Harry remarked in relief as he sighed in contentment, feeling the wind on his face. 

_ : Quite right. It'll be such a strain to our brooms, : _Remus agreed. 

"All right people!" Moody shouted against the wind. "Front, center and rear! Two-one-four-one-two! On formation!" 

_ : It's a good thing I don't have altophobia, :_ Fenix remarked happily, as she watched the village about The Burrow growing tinier and tinier as they gained altitude and closed their ranks. 

_ : What's altophobia? : _Harry's mindvoice was puzzled as he heard the unfamiliar term. 

_ : Fear of heights. : _Fenix grinned as they went into tight formation, and grimaced when her ears began to go numb. _: Just as well, that some of us can communicate through mindspeech. I think I'm going deaf. :_

_ : How long do you think it will take us to get there? : _Harry asked his godfather, with him and Ron flanking the two young girls while Snape rode ahead of them.   
  
"Let's go faster! Sharp left!" a blond-haired Fearn McNoel ordered. 

_ : Aelwyn, :_ Fenix requested from her amber-haired Sylph, _: would you take some of the other Sylphs and the Salamanders and scout around? :_

_ : During the time we went with your trunks, it took us about one and a half hours but at our current speed and the fact that we are unburdened and we're all on superb racing brooms, :_ Remus said, as he looked carefully about him, and went on, _: about half an hour…maybe slightly more. :_

_ : Where's the meeting place? :_ Fenix asked. 

_ : It's a bit west of The Place, on an isolated street, guarded by ice-cream vendors, : _Sirius answered, then he leaned forward as Moody increased their pace. 

_ : Are the vendors real or are they transplanted ones? :_ Fenix asked with a smile, as she enjoyed her experience in riding a broom, facing the element of Air. 

_ : Exhilarating, isn't it? :_ Sirius asked her slyly and gave a wide grinned, which she copied. 

_ : It is. :_

_ : Anyway, the ice-cream vendors earn a living in the Muggle world because there's not much they could do in the wizarding world. They are called Squibs whose Magick talent is only so much. They will have the Aurors as their assistants tonight. :_

"Great lights up ahead!" Fearn called out again and Moody answered. 

"Make a ninety degrees turn to your left!" 

_ : We'll be at the gathering place soon, :_ Remus informed them as he checked the familiar landscape. 

Fenix was looking about her curiously. Then she felt a strange sensation. She frowned as she felt her Elementals' confusion. 

_ : Krill? :_

_ : Checking on it. :_

_ : Sirius, there's something wrong, :_ Fenix warned her oathbrother and instinctively cast a shield that will hold the group against a magical attack. 

Aelwyn came back, flying towards the Fire Master at a great speed. _: Lady, I think you will have a bit of a problem in going to The Place, from where you had Fetched the two-way mirror for Sirius. :_

_ : People, halt! :_ Fenix mindvoice penetrated the minds of the group. 

_ : What's up? :_ Harry asked. 

He began to move toward his godfather but Wenda blocked him and merely said, "Keep your place. We're supposed to protect you, not to hand you over in a silver dish." 

"Did you send your Elementals to scout?" Moody asked in interest. 

"Yes," Fenix nodded. "They said we might have a problem in getting to The Place." 

"What about the rendezvous point?" Kingsley asked. 

Aelwyn answered directly into their minds._ : I believe the one who is able to turn into a cat and another one who could change her appearance at will and the two vendors with them, had deserted their posts and had quickly retreated to The Place. Bill and the twins suffered minor injuries in getting them all back to the haven. Fortunately, the Death Eaters seemed that they do not where that hiding place is. _: 

"What are you saying?" Ron asked in panicky voice. 

_ : I think the Dark Lord's minions are watching the gathering place, :_ Fenix responded and the wizards exchanged surprised and dumbfounded looks. 

"Any Muggles hurt?" Hermione asked in a soft voice but Aelwyn shook her head and the young girl sighed in relief. 

"So what do we do?" Ginny asked, looking about her nervously. 

"Hang on a moment," Fenix said absently and concentrated hard to reach Mr. Granger. _: Can you hear me? :_

_ : Fenix? What's wrong? :_

_ : Whatever you do, do not go to the rendezvous point. Death Eaters are watching the street. :_

_ : Bloody hell! :_

_ : Yes, I agree. Do you know of any place we can use safely before we could act? :_   
  
_ : There's only one place that I trust. That is the Grove of the Ancient Oaks. The elves would not allow any of the Death Eaters to their soil. :_

_ : Sirius, is there any kind of forest with a lot of oak trees about this area? We could seek the protection of the Fair Ones before we do something about the operatives. :_

Sirius nodded and exchanged his rear position to take the head. Fearn replaced Remus as the werewolf joined Fenix to guard they rear. 

_ : Damn! Make a run for it! We've been spotted! Severus, stay close to Harry! :_ Fenix yelled and out in the darkness, they saw several black dots racing towards them. 

_ : Quickly, Fire Master, :_ an urgent voice with the silky accent of an Elf spoke in her mind. 

_ "Crucio!" _and jets of red light shot out but was reflected back harmlessly as it hit her shield. 

_ : Hurry! Moody, what in hell are you doing? : _Fenix screamed at the ex-Auror, who was breaking away from the fleeing group, but somehow Kingsley and Severus managed to block him. _: Bloody hell! Just go, the elves are ready to give their aid! :_

_ : Keep your wands in! No point in losing them now. It's a bit dangerous in doing spell works especially if your opponent is behind you, :_ Remus said gravely. 

_ : I see the forest! :_ Sirius shouted and dived suddenly. The rest followed suit. Fenix saw the camouflaged Elven warriors with bows in their hands, arrows ready. 

_ : Dive straight for the trees! The elves will loose forth their arrows as soon as we're in the protective cover of the oaks! : _Fenix ordered. Sirius suddenly pulled his broom up; to avoid knocking the well camouflaged elves and they followed his height and rushed straight for the trees. 

All elves have superb eyesight and they were the natural masters to archery. As soon as Remus and Fenix were behind them, they loosed their arrows as one. Several screams of pain shattered the night. Ron had crashed into an oak to prevent Ginny from crashing headlong into it. 

_ : This is all we could do I'm afraid, Fire Master. : _One handsome Elf approached Fenix, as she dismounted carefully from her broom, trying to get her legs working again. _: We have received instructions that there is something which you, your oathbrother and the man with the Dark Mark have to do and we're forbidden to give you anymore aid; only that we will protect the rest from harm. :_

_ : _They're _still alive then? : _Fenix asked, rubbing life into her numb fingers and shrugged her backpack off. The Elven Lord gave her a nod. They heard the soft rumblings of a car. 

_ : Ah…our allies have returned… : _the Elven Lord looked distantly at the trees. _: With the parents of the red-headed ones… :_

_ : Take them to the safety of the Grove, :_ Fenix agreed, and watched as their company vanished with elves. Only she, Sirius and Snape remained in the dark foliage of the forest. 

_ : Fenix? : _Sirius asked her, taking his wand out of his cloak. Snape however was looking around him in fear that he tried to conceal. 

"Severus," Fenix called softly. "I won't let them take you. I would not tolerate that, even if I die trying." Snape took his wand out, and the three stood back to back, looking out in the darkness warily. "There is something which each of us have to do, but do your task carefully. Oathsib, you must be careful. Don't go berserk later on."   
  
"Snape…I know you're there…" a familiar voice called out. 

_ : Is that Lucius Malfoy? : _Fenix asked, her Hunter instincts roused. She unclasped the latch holding on to her cloak and placed it carefully down at the base of an oak tree. 

_ : Yes, : _Sirius answered his oathsister. _: Snape? I know you can hear me. Whatever you do, be careful about it. :_

Snape gave a tight nod; his shiny black eyes searched the forest floor carefully, then stilled as Lucius's luminous eyes stared back at him. Sirius felt a familiar sensation and he almost growled when Wormtail came to view. Fenix felt the two men move towards their opponents. 

"Our Master wants you back, Severus…he is a little stubborn sometimes…" Lucius whispered menacingly. "I wonder why you are so special to him, being a traitor to our cause and all…" he drawled as he took out his wand, circling Snape. 

"It would have been better if you died when you fell through The Veil…" Wormtail whimpered and Fenix saw that he was only one-armed, the remaining arm that bore the Dark Mark of Voldemort. Fenix watched the four men as she built a shield to prevent accidents from occurring. She instinctively ducked and a jet of green light was absorbed into Fenix's shield. When she looked up, she saw that it was the woman in her dreams. 

"How dare you bring Sirius back to life! How dare you revived him!" the witch lashed out in anger and moved her wand again. 

"He was never dead in the first place," Fenix said impassively. 

"And a filthy little dark Muggle dares try to speak back to me!" the witch hissed and suddenly lunged towards her, but Fenix sent her flying with a punch on the witch's face. 

"I wonder who you are…bearing a close resemblance to Sirius…same nose…same cheeks…" Fenix's sword materialized in her left arm and she held it away from the witch's view. 

"I'm the cousin of that black sheep… _Expelliarmus_!" she shouted to disarm the sword from Fenix. She struggled up to a standing position and growled when the spell skewered to the Fire Master's left. "What a joke! A Muggle with magical protections! Dumbledore will have his hands on too many things that he wouldn't be able to protect you any longer! You will die!" The witch began to laugh madly. 

"I'm under Dumbledore's protections?" Fenix taunted, circling the witch. Her two companions were in full duel mode. Wormtail was faltering in his attacks as Sirius knocked him flat repeatedly with a Blasting Curse. As if dueling with magic was not enough for her oathbrother, he aimed several strong punches and kicks at the maimed man. "How ridiculous." She raised her sword up to deflect the witch's spell.   
  
"_You! _You're the one who killed my husband!" Bellatrix Lestrange screamed and her eyes showed complete insanity. 

"Perhaps I did. Was he the one traveling with two other guys named Dolohov and Hudson? Oh…so you must be a Lestrange then," Fenix replied coolly, not taking her eyes of the witch. 

_ "Avada Kedavra!"_ A blinding jet of green light and a rushing sound cracked through the air. It hit Fenix squarely in her chest. Snape saw what was happening and rushed towards the fallen Fire Master but was blocked by the shield that she had erected. However, Lucius's own Killing Curse was shooting towards the Potions Master and he evaded it successfully, and remembered Fenix's words,_ ' No point wasting magic when physical exercise can ensure the same thing'_. While Snape was rolling on the ground, his left hand managed to grab a sharp, strong stick and seeing his chance, he aimed it straight to Lucius's right eye. Blood spurted out and the Death Eater began screaming madly in pain. 

Bellatrix was laughing insanely now, her hair coming loose from her braid but her laughter suddenly trailed off when Fenix rose to her feet, unharmed. 

"I believe it's my turn now," Fenix said menacingly, her silver eyes flickered with blue fire. She flung something invisible from her left hand at the witch. 

"Is that gesture going to do me harm?" Bellatrix mimicked a teenager's voice and suddenly found herself flung powerfully against an oak. Several splinters of ribs could be heard. 

"Never ever throw yourself against an enemy you don't have knowledge," Fenix said sententiously. "How sad, because unlike you, I don't dawdle in administrations," Fenix said impassively and Snape watched her in wonder as she casually slit the throat of the fallen witch. "That's for the Longbottoms," the Fire Master whispered. 

Lucius was clutching his right eye, trying to stop the bleeding. Snape strode casually to the wounded wizard, pried the man's wand and fingered it thoughtfully. "What should I do with it?" Snape asked, almost to himself. Fenix dissolved the shield separating her and Snape with a wave of her sword. 

"I will burn it," Fenix said, not even pitying the wounded man, although she did not look at the man's face directly. Snape place Lucius Malfoy's wand on the ground and within an instant, it was enveloped in blue fire and melted down to ashes. Wormtail let out a shriek as Sirius abandoned the duel, finally getting tired and ended it by casually twisting the Death Eater's neck. A sickening crack pierced the quiet wood. The lifeless body slid out of Sirius's grasp and he rejoined his oathsister, staring at the kneeling man with anger. 

"Let's just kill him," Sirius said. His voice was so thick with hatred. 

_ "No."_

Fenix jerked her head up and quickly knelt to one knee, head bowing down in submission. Snape and Sirius gazed at a peculiar luminous figure standing at the edge of the Grove. 

_ "He is a witness in a task you need to fulfill before_ I _send the three back to their… Master."_

"But…shouldn't you be--" 

_ "He is yours…Look carefully Lucius Malfoy, right-hand man of Voldemort."_

Fenix stood up and looked at Snape mysteriously. "Give me your left arm, and roll up your sleeve." Snape did as she instructed as Lucius watched the three helplessly, bound immobile by a mysterious force. Fenix laid her palm down on the Dark Mark and slowly let her soul cleanse the man who turned his back to Evil. The point of contact where Fenix's palm touch Snape's forearm began to glow brighter and Snape whimpered suddenly in pain. He let out an anguished scream. There was a sudden flare of incandescent light and Fenix collapsed on her knees. 

_ "Thus…it has begun." _Mysteriously, Lucius Malfoy, and the bodies of Wormtail and Bellatrix Lestrange vanished with the enigmatic figure. Snape was shaking as he looked back at his forearm. His Dark Mark was gone. It was a replaced by silver tattoo of a Phoenix in flight. 

"An evidence of your redemption, Severus," Fenix whispered and smiled weakly. "Never can Voldemort break you again…as long as I exist…and I exist for a long, long time now." 

********** 


	22. Treacherous Kreacher

**~ Chapter 22: Treacherous Kreacher ~**

The elves came out of the Grove, with the mortals hurrying forward to their friends. Sirius helped Fenix up to her feet and she leaned against her oathbrother, still trembling slightly. The Elven Lord approached her, his face filled with wonder. 

"You're a weird human being, Fire Master." 

"I never said I was normal," she replied sardonically. 

"Fenix, you're great. No words…" Ginny said fiercely, with the two wolves standing beside her. 

"I really thought that you--" Hermione suddenly burst into tears, and Fenix walked slowly towards the sobbing girl. 

"Didna' mean to make you worry…" she apologized. 

"It's okay…it's just that I was very frightened." 

"How's Ron?" Fenix asked, looking around for the tall Weasley. 

"I'm okay, just winded and a bit of a cracked rib." 

Harry was slowly approaching Fenix; his usually solemn face was smiling. The Fire Master wondered what they had done to make the boy happy, because if he was smiling for the lives that had been taken, they would be in very deep trouble. 

"You did something so monumental," Harry breathed in awe. "You released Snape from the Dark Lord." 

Fenix gave a faint smile, hiding her relief. "I was able to do it because Severus… I mean, Snape was ready to be free. Now Moody, what are we going to do?" Fenix asked. 

"I thought you wanted to take over," Moody said blandly. 

"Quit trying to be funny." 

_ Crack!_

Professor Dumbledore was hurrying towards them, his aging face edged with worry. 

"Severus! Thank goodness you're all right!" the Headmaster exclaimed with relief. 

"What do we do now, Dumbledore?" Moody asked in his harsh voice. 

"The Death Eaters have all cleared up a few minutes ago, it should be safe to go now," he informed the company. 

"Too risky. Sirius, I know you will hate me but I think it's better if we Gate," Fenix said firmly before turning to Dumbledore. "The Place is safe right?" 

The Headmaster nodded. She looked around critically. "We're going to do this fast in twos. Get ready," Fenix wore back her cloak and handed both her backpack and Ice Dagger to Harry. 

"Sirius and Harry will be the first pair, and I will be the last." Then she turned to her fellow Mages but both shook their heads. 

"We're staying to keep an eye of things here," Mr. Granger said then quickly hugged his daughter. "And Ron, I'm counting on you to keep my jewel safe." 

"We have an active Gate, deeper in the woods. It will not strain your energies too much," the Elven Lord said helpfully. 

"Thank you," she replied with gratitude. They followed the Elven Lord as he led them and they came upon an ancient Archway. Several Elven Mages stood beside Fenix as they activated the Gate and opened it as she gave the Gate its destination. What appeared as a pitch-black void suddenly became a doorway, into the living room of the house of Black. 

"Albus, maybe you should go first," Fenix said. 

"Curious way of traveling," the Headmaster observed and walked through the Portal. When he reached the other side, he gave a thumbs-up signifying that the coast was clear. Sirius and his godson went next, then the wolves that loped and landed on the other side. The Elven Mages was sweating with effort now and the present company hurriedly crossed over the Portal. 

_ : Take care, :_ Fenix said to her fellow Mages as she crossed from the forest to the solid marble floor of Sirius's house. With a salute that Fenix returned, the Elven lord and his mages shut the Gate down. 

"I knew I heard something upstairs," Fred argued. 

"Holy Smokes!" Bill exclaimed, sporting a bruised cheek and a nasty gash on his forearm, as the rest of the Weasley family entered the room. 

"Boys!" Mrs. Weasley rushed towards her three other sons and hugged them tightly. 

"Albus!" Professor McGonagall gasped, as she limped slightly into the room, pushing Mrs. Weasley gently aside to get through the Headmaster. "Thank goodness they're all safe!" 

"I believe it's all thanks to the Fire Master," Professor Dumbledore said and Moody nodded his agreement. 

"Sirius, Albus, we need your help in deciding what to do with Kreacher." Professor McGonagall ushered the Headmaster back downstairs. 

"What's this about?" Sirius asked darkly as he descended the stairs. "Fenix, come on down. I might need your skills. Try to look menacing. I want to give my mother something to think about when she starts to scream again." 

"We think that he might have leaked information out, but we couldn't say it for sure," Professor McGonagall stated grimly. Snape had regained his composure and was now trailing quietly behind the Fire Master. 

"Will Veritaserum work on the house-elf?" Snape inquired but Dumbledore shook his head. 

"The house-elves have their own ways of Magick. I wouldn't count on Kreacher really gulping down on the potion now that the person who owns him is a little bit on the shady side," Sirius said thoughtfully. 

Five members of the Order were restraining Kreacher the house-elf in the living room and chaos erupted when Fenix stepped foot on the landing. 

_ "Preposterous! How dare you people taint this house with the presence of Muggles! MUGGLES! Filthy humans! Kreacher! Send the bitch out of my house! Such taint! Horrific! Filthy Mudbloods!"_ The shrieks continued for several more minutes until McGonagall shouted something and waved her wand. The portrait fell silent. Fenix raised an eyebrow at her oathbrother in amusement. 

_ "Moony!"_ Sirius called out; raising his voice so loudly that Fenix winced and rubbed her aching eardrums. McGonagall stared at Sirius in disgust when the portrait began shrieking again. Three people were struggling pull the velvet close but was having tremendous difficulty in doing so. 

_ "He survived!" _the same shrieking voice demanded. Fenix heard someone said, "Yeah, he's alive. Unlike you." a tall and well-muscled man gave up the fight, with a face of an angel. The portrait remained uncovered and the three walked away from the portrait in disgust, as the woman in the portrait continued to scream vulgarities at their backs. Fenix's lips were almost trembling as she controlled not to laugh at the physique of the man before her. 

"Finally!" the wizard sighed in relief. "I thought we had to rescue you people from the trap outside. So goddamn relieved!" Then he looked down at Fenix, who was feeling a little dwarfed by the man's height. 

"Dear lord, your beautiful eyes have caught my heart," he said in a deep voice. "I am Ash Creighton." 

"Don't try to flirt with her, Creighton," Tonks appeared behind him and smiled at the new arrivals before shooting a sour look at him. "She's Lupin's." 

"Remus's?" Ash looked shocked. "Lady," he looked down at Fenix, with a pleading look, "you must have been deceived." 

"I think not…" Fenix replied lightly. "Anyway, I don't see why it should matter since I don't go for tall boys." 

_ : You go girl. :_ Sirius said to her, his face remaining bland. McGonagall gave a thin smile but Tonks laughed at the insulted Creighton. Fenix then looked at the hall where the members of the Order were struggling with a house-elf. 

"Let me go!" the pitiful creature wailed. "Kreacher did as what master tells him!" The senile house-elf suddenly stared at Sirius who suddenly loomed above him. The house-elf convulsed in horror. 

"And who might the master be?" Sirius thundered menacingly. "Me?" 

_ : Don't worry, Sirius. The house-elf will not be able to leave his spot and nor will he be able to use his magic against you, : _Fenix's thought reached her oathbrother. 

"It is strange, isn't it," Sirius contemplated as five the members retreated as the Black continued, "I thought I had kicked you out of the house. So how is it that you are here?" The house-elf quailed. 

_ : Do you want me to interrogate him? : _Fenix offered. 

_ : No, I want to do the interrogation myself. But do you know of any kind of ways that you would be able to force him to tell complete truths? :_

_ : Yes, I do, : _Fenix answered haltingly. 

"I wonder, how is it that the Death Eaters knew that we would be coming back here," Sirius began and looked back at his mother's portrait dangerously. _"You will shut up old hag! Black sheep of yours, am I! I am so ashamed and galled that you have the absolute nerve to bring me into this family!"_ Sirius shouted angrily. The portrait suddenly turned silent. 

"So you will tell us now," Sirius gave a chilling smile at the house-elf. "Did you tell anyone not of the Order of the rendezvous point?" 

The house-elf was trembling now, and struggled. "Yes!" he screamed and then his eyes went wide in horror, almost in disbelief. 

"And who did you tell it to?" Dumbledore questioned, coming up to stand beside Sirius. 

"Narcissa!" Kreacher screamed in anguish. Sirius looked at Fenix. He asked her doubtfully, "Is he really telling the truth?" 

"Oathsib, don't be insulting," Fenix replied acidly as she kept her eyes on the treacherous house-elf. "And when did you go to her?" 

The house-elf screamed in pain, his face contorted in anguish. Fenix stared coldly at the house-elf. 

"I would answer quickly if I were you," Sirius peered down at Kreacher. "My sister's a dangerous sort of person if you were to vex her." 

_ "Sister?!"_

"I'll introduce her soon enough…_Mother_," Sirius spat the last word out in disdain. 

"It was…_aaah_! It was…when you had gone back after…_Aaaaah_! Delivering the trunks here! Please master; release me from your spell! Such pain!" the house-elf screamed in pain. 

"Dumbledore?" Sirius looked grimly at the Headmaster. 

"He is a danger to us now…" the Headmaster said thoughtfully. "We couldn't afford to release Kreacher. He knows too much that if he were to fall on their hands, the lives that we swore to protect will be endangered." 

Hermione gave a small gasp, as she stared in horror then jumped when Sirius's mother yelled _'Filthy Mudbloods!'_

"Lady," Krill's deep voice boomed and those who did not know the Salamander stared wildly around them. "That painting is absolutely foul. You must do something to do it soon--" 

Aelwyn quickly interrupted, "Before we do something drastic to it ourselves." 

"What makes you so sure she won't be doing something horrible to it, herself?" Sirius asked mischievously. 

"It's all about prudence, Sirius." Krill replied piously. 

_ "Winky!"_ Hermione yelped. A young female house-elf appeared in the hall with four others. _"Dobby!"_

The house-elf named Dobby gave Hermione a little bow. Winky however, was staring at Kreacher with eyes so intense with hatred. 

"Feqzu," the Headmaster inclined his head towards the oldest of the house-elves that had served the school for several centuries. 

"Master Dumbledore," Feqzu answered, bowing politely then gave a penetrating glance at the Fire Master. He suddenly smiled and Fenix returned it.   
  
"Abomination…" Winky hissed. "You're even worse than Dobby... You mix with very, very bad evil men. You put innocent children in danger. You are supposed to look after Mr. Sirius Black…but you sold yourself to evil by twisting his words to fit your purpose…disgusting…" 

Kreacher was terrified when Sirius had begun interrogating him. Now his terror had increased a hundred-fold when the group of house-elves had appeared. Feqzu tottered towards the Headmaster and politely inquired to let them take Kreacher. 

"No…" Kreacher whispered his eyes wide with fear and terror. 

"Lady," Feqzu turned his large eyes to Fenix. "Do not release the coercion on him." Fenix nodded. Winky stayed away as far as she could from Kreacher, huddling very closely to Dobby. The other two silent house-elves marched and hauled the cowering Kreacher. 

_ "Stop! What are you doing to Kreacher! He's mine…let him go!"_

"He had belonged to the last master of the Blacks," Feqzu said calmly, as he gave a sidelong look at Sirius, who was just studying the situation with good humor. "I'm sure that Mr. Black will allow us to take care of this problem." 

"Of course! Take him!" Sirius said jovially. The house-elves disappeared, and Sirius let out a sigh. "Good riddance…" 

_ "You have not gotten rid of me!"_ Sirius's mother yelled. The painting's face contorted in anger. 

"How on earth do you guys work with her constantly shrieking like a banshee?" Fenix demanded the members of the Order.   
  
"We had often wondered," Ash admitted. "I wish someone could do something more permanent!" 

_ "Banshee! How dare you insult me, insolent bitch!"_

Fenix ignored the witch's remark. "Seriously," she said as she shook her head. "I'm surprised the glass still existing in the house hasn't shattered." 

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" Tonks sneered. 

"Truly." Ash nodded his head vigorously. 

"Well, oathbrother, why don't you introduce me to her?" Fenix suggested. 

"Hang on a moment…" Sirius pulled the string that held her hair and the Salamanders automatically smoothed her hair down. Harry and Ron were looking at them with amusement, trying to muffle their laughter. "I am counting on you for the sake of the peace of the headquarters." 

Sirius then walked casually up to his mother's portrait, screening Fenix with his body. "Listen old hag, this is my oathsister, Fenix Maxwell…" Sirius stepped aside and his mother got a clear look at Fenix, her nose, the silver eyes and the aura of power in Fenix. 

_ "Impossible…"_

Fenix was peering at the portrait. "I don't know if I should ask you this but why didn't you just take the portrait down?" 

_ : We tried but Sirius said that the portrait has a permanent sticking charm on it, : _Harry spoke up. 

"I see. So you have her and the others sticking so tightly on the wall," Fenix muttered. 

_ "Elderina…"_

"How curious." Fenix moved and examined the pictures one by one finally stopping on one portrait of a young wizard who bore the same eye structures as Fenix, although his eyes were deep gray. 

_ "You're still alive…"_ the portrait whispered. 

_ : Sirius, do you mind if the wall's blackened a bit? :_ Fenix requested. 

_ : No…what are you planning? :_

_ : I'm sending the Sylphs and the Salamanders behind every portrait and melt the charm down, : _Fenix informed him and then called out loudly for a super large garbage back. "Unless you have other plans for them other than discarding them?" Fenix asked. 

"I'm sticking to my original plan which is to get rid of them all…" 

"Good…Aelwyn, I want some of you to stand each of the portraits and catch them when they fall and be careful not to place any part of you on the portraits' backs." She stood back, the rest all gathered behind her, and the witches and wizards stared curiously at the wall of portraits. Mrs. Weasley came out from the kitchen holding several large black bags. 

"Look!" Ron pointed out at one of the portraits. "It's coming down!" the portrait fell to the hands of a Sylph and Mrs. Weasley opened the rubbish bag as the portrait was guided into the trash bag. 

"Fenix, I'm proud of you," Sirius stated, beaming at the wall. 

"Of course you ought to be. I'm the very first black sheep of the Blacks after all," she replied scathingly. Ginny tittered in the background. 

_ "No!!!"_ Sirius's mother wailed helplessly and it grew muffled when Mrs. Weasley firmly tied the bag off, and muttered _'Silencio'_ and gave her wand a wave. 

"Fletcher!" Mrs. Weasley called out. 

"What is it, Molly?" a man lazily poked his head from the kitchen door. 

"Dispose this…" she pointed at five trash bags. Mundungus Fletcher frowned at the bags then his eyes instinctively looked at the walls.   
  
"Merlin's beard! You got them down! Peace at last!" Fletcher hurried forward then gave the thrash bags a few more _'Silencio'_. He Disapparated out of the house with all the bags and Sirius looked at the empty wall happily. 

"Well, it's done!" Sirius said cheerfully, making him looked boyish. 

_ : Sirius, I think I need to lie down for a bit. :_ Fenix bit her lip as she felt herself going dizzy. The smile vanished from her oathbrother's face and deftly caught her when she blacked out. 

"Oh dear! Sirius, is she all right?" Mrs. Weasley asked in alarm. 

"She is…is there any hospitable room for her to rest?" Sirius asked around. The twins nodded and Sirius scooped the unconscious Fire Master and slowly walked up the stairs. Sirius carefully laid Fenix down the bed and unlatched the clasp of her cloak and Fred carefully removed the cloak and hung it on the back of a chair. Meanwhile, George quickly and gently took her boots off. Ginny came into the room with a light blanket and covered the Fire Master with it. 

_ : Don't worry, Sirius, : _Wind replied as she sauntered towards the bed and jumped and curled herself against Fenix. _: I think she's just strained by her task at the Grove just now. She'll be fine after she gets some sleep. :_

"She'll be all right…what happened to your eyes?" Sirius peered at the twins. 

"Those idiots flung off a carton of cucumbers. Those projectiles really hit us hard. I feel several more bruises on my back," Fred answered as the twins and Sirius left the bedroom to go back down to the hall. 

"So…" Sirius addressed Ash, "is the rest of the house safe or do we have to do more spring cleaning?" 

"All's clear, nothing more dangerous than a couple of Doxies and two Boggarts. And there's a fairly large room for your use," Ash said pointedly at Remus who just snorted. The latter was busily hooking up all their brooms on a broom stand. 

"Harry? Ron?" Fred called out, "come with us, we'll show you your sleeping quarters." Then to Sirius, "Same sleeping arrangements?"   
  
"Yeah," Sirius said, then headed down to the kitchen and sat down on a stool, conjuring up a mug of Butterbeer then gulped it down instantly. He filled it again with a flick of his wand. 

"You okay, Padfoot?" Remus joined him. Sirius nodded with a reply. "Thank you. I couldn't have designed a better death." 

"You mean, Wormtail?" Sirius asked softly. _: Bloody hell, Moony. How could he have done what he did? He was such a timid fellow. Why did he turn his back on us? How could he…do that to James and Lily? : _Sirius continued, his mindvoice was black with grief. _: I didn't like what I did, Moony. :_ Sirius looked to his friend, his eyes dark and haunted. 

_ : It's been done. :_ Remus said tiredly and got himself a cup of water. 

"Sirius?" Harry poked his head tentatively into the kitchen. "All of us are going to bed. Seems like everyone's kind of bowled over after the chase." 

Sirius got up to wash his mug and placed it on the rack. "Yeah. I think I ought too. Who's keeping watch?" 

"Bill and Ash." Remus answered, following Sirius back to the bedroom. 

"We'll be in the next room," Harry said. "We'll see you in the morning." The boy was rubbing his head tiredly. 

_ : What's wrong? : _Sirius asked his godson. 

_ : It's just… : _Harry peeked in the room where the wolves were keeping a watchful eye on the sleeping Fire Master. _: She's awfully cold-blooded back there. You wouldn't really expect that kind of impassivity from her. :_

_ : I didn't hear you say that about me. I did kill Wormtail after all, : _Sirius pointed out, then Harry frowned. 

_ : It's that battle of the sexes kind of thing I guess. Dunno where I got that idea, : _Harry said sheepishly. _: But I've never seen people killed that way before. It seemed pretty calculated. :_

_ : Well, she's got weapons…that girl does, :_ Remus agreed. 

The Headquarters became silent as they closed their bedroom doors for the night. Only the mutterings of Ash and Tonks filled the kitchen and Bill joined them for a midnight snack. 

"I wonder if it'll be safe for us when it's time for the kids to head down to the train station," Ash muttered softly. 

"Wait till tomorrow," Bill said as he pulled the chair and sat on it backwards. "I know Fenix is already worried about that already. I'm sure she'll be able to suggest some things." 

"She's a weird Muggle…" Ash was saying but Tonks were shaking her head at him. 

"I won't throw that word around her lightly. She has some Magick talents we do not recognize so that doesn't put her into the category of non-magical folk, you know," she informed him, as she drank down a glass of pumpkin juice. 

"I agree," Bill nodded. "I just hope that we won't be having a siege when it's time for us to go. When's the meeting again?" 

"It's on the twenty-seventh. I wondered what happened to Snape," Tonks contemplated. "He was looking very strange ever since he came. And he gave Fenix several peculiar glances." 

"Talking about Fenix. Is she really 'going out' with Remus?" Ash asked Bill and gave a disappointed sigh when Bill smiled and quirked his lips into a smile. 

"What a shame." Ash gave an oblique look at Tonks. "Seems like I have to stick around you a little bit longer than I expected, Nymphadora." 

"Stop calling me that!" Tonks gave a clumsy punch at his biceps. Bill shook his head and went out of the kitchen to check on the locks on the door. _It'll be a short night…good thing I'm on the afternoon shift tomorrow at Gringotts._

********** 


	23. Silent Musings

**~ Chapter 23: Silent Musings ~**   


**Thursday, 24th August. The Headquarters of the Order…**

Fenix was in the kitchen, helping Mrs. Weasley prepare some lunch for all of them. Remus was upstairs meditating with the wolves to prepare himself for his transformation later that night. Sirius was busying himself with the four Gryffindor students on Transfiguration work and was constantly bombarding Hermione questions every time he was dubious on the theory concepts of the book that McGonagall had given him. Snape was in the kitchen, sipping on some warm chocolate as he kept on reading the _Daily Prophet_. He gave a small grunt as he read a subtitle, 'Consumers of Wolfsbane potion sets product on fire on a protest'. 

"Severus, protect your eyes," Fenix warned the Potions Master absently as she began to chop some garlic. 

_ : Hello, what's for lunch? :_ Remus's thought reached her mind. Fenix gave a small smile and gave the chopped garlic to Mrs. Weasley. The timer of the oven went off and Fenix quickly put on her kitchen gloves and got out freshly baked gingersnaps. 

_ : Its spaghetti, some garlic bread, chocolate treacle and custard puffs, :_ Fenix replied as she placed the cookies on a cooling rack._ : How's the training going? :_

_ : I think I've got the idea firmly in grasp, :_ Remus sighed, and continued._ : Doing things with your mind's a lot of hard work, isn't it? :_

_ : Yeah, it's tough all right. Takes a lot of discipline, : _ Fenix agreed, and popped one cookie into her mouth. 

_ : Well, I'm going to take a look at what's your oathbrother's doing. Call us when lunch's ready! I'm hungry! Does this happen all the time? :_

_ : What? Oh…You mean you're hungry every time you do mind magic? Yes, it does, : _Fenix said helpfully. 

_ : I sort of expected it…well…see you down later…lover… : _Remus whispered slyly before releasing the link. Snape looked curiously at her, when she blushed, her eyes gleaming in confusion. 

_ : I am so proud of you, Moony! :_

_ : Sirius! :_ Fenix protested as she stared at the direction of the study room where her oathbrother was keeping an eye on his godson and his friends. 

"Idiotic wizard," Fenix muttered darkly under her breath. Snape cleared his throat loudly as he looked archly at her. "I did not mean you, Severus…" Fenix still blushed as she put in a new batch of cookies into the oven. Fenix winced as some wizard or maybe witch flung a spell at the shield that she had built last night to prevent any more intrusions. She narrowed her eyes and stared distantly into space. 

"Fenix?" Molly asked her in concern. 

"What on earth is Moody doing? I did not create that shield for fun!" Fenix said, her voice sounding irritated. They heard the front door opened and closed and the numerous magical bolts and locks clicked back into place. Moody stepped into the kitchen and instantly backed out and disappeared upstairs when he found Fenix staring at the kitchen doorway murderously. 

"Pusillanimous…" Fenix muttered under her breath. 

"You wouldn't believed what Ron said to Alastor," Mrs. Weasley said casually. 

"What?" Fenix asked curiously, as she put a big fistful of spaghetti into the pot while Mrs. Weasley chilled a big pot of water. 

"Ron said that you are very skilled at verbally flaying someone…than his own mother…" Mrs. Weasley said, making a face. Fenix chuckled lightly as Snape poured himself another cup of chocolate. 

"I remembered Fred told me that you're a saber-tooth tiger when you're angry. So what did they tagged me with?" 

"What else but a wolf… although Ron did suggest a boar…because of your stubborn nature…" Mrs. Weasley said timidly. Fenix laughed, stirred the spaghetti for a few seconds, then quickly drained it and submerged it in the pot of cold water. 

"Well, lunch's ready…go ahead and call them." 

_ : Guys come down and have some lunch! :_ Fenix called out, reaching Sirius, Remus and Harry.   
  
Fenix could hear Harry's laughter from the staircase and was joined by Sirius's generous laugh. 

"Hello, Fenix!" 

"Hi there…" Fenix ushered Harry to a seat beside Snape's right as Mrs. Weasley scooped him and the Potions Master a generous helping of spaghetti. 

"Anything new?" 

"No, except for Moody who kept flinging leftover cucumbers when no one's looking. He thinks its funny." Fenix counted heads and came up short. 

"Moody! Get in here!" Fenix stormed out of the kitchen and raised up her voice. "I know you're still up there with the wolves! You don't really want me to call you 'pusillanimous' again, don't you?" She reentered the kitchen with a sly twinkle in her eyes and sat herself in between her oathbrother and Remus. 

"Moody better get down here quickly…" Ron was eyeing the food in gratitude. "I'm so hungry I think I can eat at least five times today." 

Moody stomped down the staircase slowly, and entered the kitchen and sat on an empty chair next to Snape. 

"What does pusillanimous mean?" Moody asked gruffly. 

"Lily-livered, coward, dastardly, faint-hearted," Fenix rattled off. 

They were halfway through their lunch when Fenix suddenly dropped her fork, her right hand clutching her temple. Moody was just about ready to head back again, knowing that the Death Eaters were trying to break the shield but Snape detained him. Everyone stopped eating, and waited patiently for Fenix to speak. 

"Good, the shield's unassailable. Huh, one of them tried to Apparate in…" Fenix said and blinked her eyes several times and shook her head a little. 

"What happened to him…or her?" Harry asked, as he picked up his fork to resume eating his lunch. 

"It's a he… found himself falling right into the middle of a lake," Fenix said. 

"Won't people see them though, if they're constantly flinging spells on the shield?" Hermione asked in a worried tone. Fenix shrugged helplessly. 

"I don't think I want to tamper with human minds." 

"We'll take care of it," Aelwyn voiced out. 

Fenix ate the rest of her lunch in a distracted manner as she watched Aelwyn and the Elementals with her Sight. Her eyes widened when a loud resounding crack pierced the air. 

"I did not believe you did that!" Fenix gasped in horror. 

"These people are starting to really irritate us." Krill defended for his kind. 

"I know they are irritating and certainly no quitters…but do you have to make them…_dance_?" 

"Dance?" Harry repeated. 

"The ground is crackling with mini-lightning," Fenix explained quickly. "Three of them are unconscious now." Her eyes grew distant and she nodded with satisfaction. "They're retreating. But I can't help thinking that we would be followed once we need to get to King's Cross," she sighed, then her face suddenly turned grim. "And they had better not to try anything under my nose or right in front of the normal people…or I'll just make everything easier for myself and blow the whole planet up…" 

She got up and took her empty plate to wash, then poured herself a glass of cold water. "I'm going to take a bath." She finished her glass and washed it before she headed out of the kitchen. 

Every one of them remained silent, as they thought about her threat carefully in their minds. Harry popped a gingersnap in his mouth and he found that Fenix was an excellent baker and took another one enthusiastically._ I wonder if she was serious about that…is this another one of her alternatives? Nah…I don't think she'll do something that drastic. But maybe if the war had gone too far, then could I see the possibilities. This is really funny…the first time I was here, I couldn't wait to shout my heart out…I think that's it…I've gotten numb. Who wouldn't be? Snape's being far more tolerable these days but I won't be surprised if he goes back to his usual self once school starts. It would be interesting to see how he will treat Malfoy in school this year. I wonder if he knew what happened to his father…I wonder if Mr. Malfoy is still alive…and it'll be absolutely great to have Sirius in Hogwarts._

Harry looked at his godfather and gave the man a smile._ : So you'll be keeping an eye on the juniors? :_

_ : Yup. But we'll join you for meals. I have the feeling that Fenix will not feel comfortable sitting up at the teachers' table. So am I, actually… : _Sirius blinked his eyes at his own accurate assessment. 

_ : It's going to be an interesting year…I hope Fenix and Professor Lupin would stay on Hogwarts…and maybe…do you think that after all of this, they'll get married? :_

"Are you two gossiping about me?" Remus asked both of them suspiciously. 

"Whatever for?" Sirius asked mockingly. His best friend looked unconvinced but stayed silent while Sirius answered Harry's question immediately. 

_ : It's a little too soon, I think. Aldren--I've told you about him, he's an elf--says that it is more likely for the two to go on courtship for at least a few years more before they settle down, : _he said confidently. 

Harry turned his attention inward and mused. _I wonder how much Voldemort had influenced me…and I am glad for myself that I don't like the idea of using people to gain power. I'm glad that I finally realized that my elation of Rudolphus Lestrange was purely about revenge. His wife did nearly cost Sirius his life. No matter. At least, I'm happy to what happened to Snape. This time, we can fully trust Snape without thinking of his previous attachments because that is the past. Hopefully, Snape doesn't blow his second chance away to nothing._

********** 

Fenix was sitting quietly in the bedroom, combing her hair dreamily. There were no windows about the house and she felt strangely cloistered in Sirius's house. There was no disturbance outside and she took a deep breath. Crookshanks nudged the bedroom door open and sniffed for the wolves. When it found they were not present for the moment, it trotted towards Fenix and jumped up on her lap, butting its head against her chest, yearning for a scratch. 

Fenix chuckled at the cat's eagerness, placed her comb down, and indulged the cat's insistence, scratching its ears and neck. _You're a lovely cat…I hope I don't get myself into trouble when I start out as Remus's assistant. Frankly, I don't know if it was wise of the Headmaster to put us together. I mean…we're supposed to be colleagues…But…_Fenix sighed. _Forget it…just learn to adapt._ Her thoughts then turned to the Potions Master. 

_ I'm glad that I held some reservations for him…and not made a quick judgment. He's a likable enough fellow…once you get used to his sharp comments. _Fenix smiled to herself. The experience of redeeming Snape was a wonderful experience for her, as she got to Heal the man's soul. _I wonder what their Ministry of Health is planning…although there's not a lot werewolves…but the population is large enough that they can't just ignore them. Maybe I should pester Severus…until he gets mad enough to give me lessons._ Fenix grinned to herself. 

*********** 

Sirius was lazing in the sitting room where he watched Harry and Ron bent over a chessboard. _I feel like I had shut myself in a prison…but this time I get to go to Hogwarts. Living in The Burrow had opened my eyes for a bit. I could still pop my head out a window, looked at the sky, and smell the trees…here…there's nothing…if I don't go out soon…I think I might start screaming._

"What are you thinking about?" Remus asked as he casually flopped down on another armchair. 

"When things are much safer…I wonder if Harry would like to live with Fenix," Sirius said seriously and Remus stared in surprise. 

"You had observed us when we are apart," Sirius said, trying to explain the bond that they had taken voluntarily. 

"This bond…" Ginny said as she sat at Sirius's feet. "Seeing you and Fenix together somehow made me feel about Fred and George. Maybe the bond between the two of you is more like a twins' bond than normal siblings kind of stuff." 

"Come to think of it…" Hermione said thoughtfully. "I think Ginny's right. Well, Professor Lupin…I think having Sirius as your brother-in-law won't matter that much since you're friends anyway," she responded impudently. 

Sirius snorted with laughter then turned his thoughts inward._ It is funny how I had become so close to Fenix in a matter of weeks…yet I do feel as if she had been around me for years. _He looked at Remus thoughtfully then impulsively said, _: Why are you sitting there looking bored? Fenix is alone so why don't you go and spend some quality time together? :_

_ : I am glad to hear you say that. :_ Remus stood up and briskly went out to the bedroom. 

_ He still has a long more way to go…_Sirius contemplated and began to tease Hermione. 

********** 

Remus knocked on the bedroom door tentatively even when he saw it was opened. He pushed the door back to see the Fire Master cuddling Hermione's cat, which was purring so loudly in the silent room. 

_ : May I come in? :_ Remus asked politely. Fenix gave a sweet smile and nodded her head. Remus slipped in and shut the door before going the bed to cuddle her. 

_ : Is this your idea or did Sirius give you instructions? :_

_ : Can't you put a little more faith in me? : _Remus asked, his mindvoice sounding a little hurt. Fenix chuckled and turned her head to her side to invite a kiss from the werewolf, who delightedly gave it. Remus held her against him, as he smelled her hair that emanated a citrus-like scent. He contemplated on several things as he held Fenix dreamily, giving her neck a kiss occasionally. 

_ Sirius is much more serious now…he has changed ever since he bonded to Fenix. He has a clearer view on things now and I'm glad that he has decided to see Severus in a different light. But I'm worried about Harry…is he truly okay or is he hiding secrets again?_

_ : Fenix? Will you keep a careful eye on Harry? :_

_ : What's gotten you worried? :_ Fenix turned her head to look at his brown eyes that smiled gently. 

_ : He seems kind of fickle…the way he calmly looks at things now is giving me the collywobbles, :_ he explained, squeezing her lightly and winced when Crookshanks gnawed on his knuckles playfully. 

_ : It's just a transition state…he's maturing a lot faster than average…because of his experiences. He is learning to be cautious and to keep a tight control on his curiosity. He is afraid for the others you see…and he doesn't want to repeat the same mistakes he had done previously. :_

_ : So he is all right? :_ He questioned and sighed when she nodded her head. _: You know, I could never imagine Severus living with us…he has the personality to make everyone stay away from him. But he's just as a normal as the rest of us, right? :_

_ : He is, and insinuating him into our kind of family life is a positive experience...and for Harry too. Maybe if Severus becomes hard for him again when term starts…at least the knowledge that Severus can be tolerable during the holidays will soothe his anger a little bit, : _she said, her mindvoice dancing a bit with cheerfulness. 

_ : But what about Severus? There are a lot of things that had happened to Severus and Harry _does_ look like his father. Can Severus forgive him a little…enough so that we all can work together? Harry told me of a memory of Severus that he had looked in a Pensieve and Harry was absolutely horrified at our actions…especially with his own father. :_

_ : This I could not say. It's all up to Severus if he wants to let the past entangle with the future. He is a witty man…he knows better than to turn Harry away if the boy really needs his help, : _Fenix answered. 

_ I hope you're right, lover…maybe…maybe Severus will be able to let go of his enmity towards Harry…I hope time will help heal his wounds…_

********** 

"Dobby!" Harry exclaimed in surprise as the house-elf appeared with a tray of apple pies and freshly baked muffins. Snape looked up from the chessboard as his knight swung his sword to get rid of Ron's. 

"Good afternoon, Mr. Harry Potter!" Dobby greeted cheerfully. "Master Dumbledore bid Dobby to give this to the household." 

"Hello, Dobby," Hermione said. "How's Winky?" 

"Little Winky's up and working about!" Dobby answered happily. "Tis' all Winky's excellent baking!" the house-elf held up the tray of goodies and set it on a spare table. 

"What happened to Kreacher?" Sirius asked lazily as he flipped on the pages of the _Daily Prophet_. 

"Mister Feqzu's taken care of old Kreacher…" Dobby replied shortly. 

"How do you mean?" Hermione asked anxiously. 

"Kreacher's done something very…very…horrible Miss Granger. House-elves are not supposed to use master's words to fit house-elves own desire. Kreacher's mad and old…Feqzu's and other great and ancient house-elves has terminated Kreacher's service to any wizard family. Kreacher no longer hold talents of house-elves. Kreacher has no more magic to be useful," Dobby said in a stern voice. 

"Is that a befitting punishment?" Sirius asked Dobby grimly. 

"Most severe punishment that is, Mr. Black." Dobby turned a pair of sad eyes to Hermione. "Miss Granger isn't disappointed with Dobby?" 

"No, Dobby. I've understood the peculiarities of house-elf fealties and their duties. But if you want more costumes, I can make them for you," Hermione answered with a smile. Dobby gave her a grateful smile before disappearing. 

********** 

Both Remus and Fenix had bolted down a quick dinner as the sun began to set. She ushered Remus off from the kitchen as she washed the dishes and quickly changed into her wolf form. She quickly trotted up to the second floor landing and went to wait for Remus at the sitting room and found herself face to face with Snape's wand. 

_ : Great Aquilla! Severus, it's just me! : _Fenix jumped back away from Snape. The Potions Master frowned as he studied the stranger wolf. 

"Fenix?" he asked uncertainly. 

_ : Yes, Severus. Guys, :_ Fenix sent her thought clearly to those present in the sitting room,_ : clear out and go down to dinner. And this room will be out of bounds until tomorrow morning. Is that understood? :_

Hermione was scowling at herself. She snapped her fingers as she exclaimed, "Full moon!" 

_ : Go on now. : _Sirius ushered them all out and gave Fenix a wink as Remus shuffled into the room, wearing his shabbiest of clothes. _: See you in the morning! :_ Sirius said as he bolted the door from the outside. 

********** 

**After dinner…**

All of them paused at the sitting room and looked uncertainly at door as they heard rumbles and growls. Ron, who was closest to the door jumped back from the door in surprise when a loud yelp pierced the silence. Sirius however was calm as he sent his thought out to his oathsister. 

_ : Fenix, are you all right? How is Remus? Is the technique working out okay? :_ Sirius asked in concern. 

_ : Yeah, he retained his mind. And that was Remus just now. Ginny left one of the twins Fireworks behind the armchair that you had been sitting. Caught him by surprise as he was chasing me, : _ Fenix said lightly, her mindvoice thick with amusement. 

_ : And why on earth was he chasing you? : _Sirius asked dangerously. 

_ : None of your business, :_ Remus replied sharply. 

_ : Moony, don't you dare do anything to her or I'll beat you into mush in the morning, : _Sirius said determinedly. Fenix laughed at Sirius's threat and nipped Remus playfully on his ear. 

_ : Don't get yourself vexed, brother-mine. I can take care of myself… now go entertain the kids and Severus, :_ Fenix said jovially and settled down next to Remus. 

********** 

Hermione was trying to teach Ron a new board game 'Reversi'. 

She sighed in exasperation. "Ron, you're not getting it! You can't change my beads unless you have your own bead at the end of it." 

"Why didn't you say it sooner?" Ron said, as he scratched his head and frowned. 

"I think I know how this game is played," Harry said shyly. "This was quite a few years back when Aunt Petunia was bored and she was playing with Uncle Vernon." 

"Well, come here and play with me then!" 

Harry pushed Crookshanks gently from his lap and the cat went over to the Potions Master, surprising Snape completely. Hermione quickly divided the beads between the two of them. 

"Black or white?" 

"I'll take white," Harry replied as he sat down comfortably on the cushion as the twins watched the pair with interest. 

"Black will go first," Hermione said, and the game commenced. 

Snape could not pay attention to his book now Crookshanks had planted itself solidly to his lap and gave up trying to read his book. He watched Harry and suppressed the irrational anger he felt. _Just watch them play…_He took a deep breath and unconsciously massaged his left forearm. _Strange, I could feel the engravings of the Phoenix no matter how many clothes I wear. _Snape trailed his finger over the mark in wonder. He watched Hermione nodding her approval as Harry played the Muggle game with ease. 

"See, Ron. Do you understand now?" Hermione said as she turned a full column of white beads to black. 

"I think I've gotten the hang of it. It isn't that hard actually," the Weasley agreed. 

Snape half-smiled as Harry groaned when he made a mistake that allowed Hermione to turn Harry's beads in three directions. Ginny laughed uproariously at the fuming Harry, who was uttering curses under his breath. Snape watched Harry's godfather, lying on his chest and giving Harry several pointers. 

_ : Hello, what are you playing? :_ Wind asked and the female wolf peered over Hermione's shoulder. _: Oh, you guys are playing Othello. :_ She then sat beside Hermione and looked at the board carefully. _: Whose beads are the lighter ones? :_

"The whites are mine," Harry answered, looking quizzically at the female wolf. 

_ : You're in trouble, laddie. No matter where you go, Hermione will be able to turn a whole row of your beads, : _Wind said seriously. 

"Then what's the point of dallying?" Harry said in a disappointed tone and placed his last bead on the board and Sirius patted his shoulder comfortingly. 

"Well, Hermione," Sirius said lightly. "Care to have me as your challenger?" 

"If you want to…but don't blame me if you get slaughtered, all right?" Hermione responded impishly. "But no silent cheating." Hermione gave a very penetrating look at the wolf beside her. 

"Careful, Hermione," Ron said quickly. "Wind do have fangs and claws, you know." 

_ : Don't worry, I won't. Just a word of advice. Strategy. :_

********** 

Crookshanks was still fixed on Snape's lap. Whenever he made a move to dislodge the cat, it will dig its claws slightly and Snape gave up, sighing softly. He looked up at the wall clock. It was only ten-thirty and knew he would not be able to sleep that early. He looked at the crowd sitting on the floor with amusement. Hermione had turned out victorious after each game and Ginny was losing to her. _I can't remember the first time I've been able to enjoy myself in the company of others…and now I'm able to look at Harry without myself snarling at him._ Snape sighed at his own stubbornness. 

"Hermione, you're cruel!" Ginny wailed. Hermione smiled devilishly and asked around. 

"Any more takers?" 

Snape was suddenly aware that the rest were giving him uneasy glances. 

"Well, Severus?" Sirius asked archly. 

He was about to say, '_Why should I bother myself?'_ but stopped himself just in time when Hermione looked pleadingly at him. He gave a thin smile and answered. "Why not?" Crookshanks mewled in protest when Snape got up and the cat had no choice but to find another lap, this time it jumped up on Sirius's back and curled down to sleep. Snape was a much better opponent and he set Hermione to think about her moves. Everyone held their breaths when it was time for them to count their beads and to their amazement, the game turned out to be a draw.   
  
_ : Not bad…but maybe tomorrow Fenix shall play with you. No one had ever successfully beaten her in this game, and maybe you could see what I mean by strategy when you see her play, :_ Wind commented. 

"That sounds a bit ominous," Ron remarked. 

"All right, people!" Mrs. Weasley announced. "Time for bed!" 

Snape gave a disappointed sigh and helped Hermione keep the beads back to its container. 

"Don't worry, we could play that game all day tomorrow. And I'm glad Hermione brought the game with her," Harry announced casually, giving the Potions Master a little smile. "Because if no one had found something to keep me busy other than reading…I think I'm going mad at being cooped up." 

"I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling that way," Sirius said with relief. 

********** 


	24. A Momentary Cure For Boredom

**~ Chapter 24: A Momentary Cure For Boredom ~**   


**Friday, 25th August.**

Fenix was drying her hair as she went in to the sitting room where they will have breakfast. Remus was already seated, sipping on hot chocolate as he peeked at the_ Daily Prophet_ from Hermione's shoulder. Snape was already up, immaculately dressed in his black wizard robe and Ginny, looking far too alert than usual. 

"Ginny? Aren't you a little too early to be out of bed?" Fenix asked the girl curiously as she began to brush her hair. 

"The twins…they popped a Lemon-wakees when I was still groggy," Ginny growled. "I'm feeling a little grumpy." 

"Because you think you should be grumpy at not getting enough sleep," Remus said in a distracted manner as he scanned the paper. "They had better keep themselves undercover before the Muggle undercover police spots them…really this is absurd," Remus shook his head in disapproval. 

"What's absurd?" Fenix asked him, as she sat down on the floor. Sirius had just entered the room, still sleepy-eyed and he scowled at his oathsister. 

"Fenix, why must you bathe every morning? Not only that…you also bathe before dinner. I haven't encountered anyone who is so crazy about baths before." 

"I bathe every morning because I like to bathe in the morning. Anyway…it does make you feel clean. And if you feel clean…you will feel happy and energized to tackle the day," Fenix replied flippantly. 

"Crazy…" Sirius muttered to himself and sat down on the armchair. He carefully sipped at the hot chocolate slowly, watching the couple with amusement. 

"Remus," Fenix tapped him lightly on his shoulder, "you still haven't tell me what's so absurd…" 

Remus flushed slightly in embarrassment. "Sorry…it's just that some of the wizards and witches had taken it to themselves that they have to keep an eye on King's Cross. Some of them do not know how to be subtle about it. They had to do a Memory Charm on two private investigators when the Muggles caught them acting very strangely in public," he sighed. "Why can't they be more professional?" 

Fenix nodded her head in comprehension and sat down beside the bushy-haired Hermione. She had a minx-like expression on her face and it stirred the Fire Master's curiosity. 

"Why are you looking as though you're a cat who's just gotten itself into a bowl of cream?" 

Hermione kept on smiling as she gave Sirius the newspaper then turned a fully wicked smile at Fenix. 

"Am I in trouble or something?" Fenix asked warily. 

"Wind said you know how to play Reversi…" Hermione leaned towards her in excitement. 

"Yes…" Fenix replied uncertainly as she blinked her silver eyes in confusion. 

"Good!" Hermione quickly got out the board, with beads already divided in two. 

"Early in the morning?" Ron exclaimed just as he saw what she was up to. "Hermione, you've gone mental!" 

"I don't mind the mental exercise…ouch…that must have hurt…" Fenix said, looking towards the entrance of the house. 

"What's going on?" Harry asked curiously. 

"It seems that some early Muggles are a triple bit irritated this morning. Some of the Dark Lord's lackeys are at the shield again and the Muggles threw back some very, very sharp little stones at them. There's even one old fellow who's showing off his crossbow…" Fenix said amusedly. 

"Isn't that going to get us in trouble?" Remus asked, his brows bunching up as he frowned. 

"No, they would not bother to call the authorities. They've lived in weirder times…" Fenix answered with a smile. "Black or white?" 

"Black," Hermione answered, and the rest gathered about the two contenders as they munched on their breakfast. Fenix drank her chocolate calmly as she stared at the board in ultimate concentration, making her moves slowly. Hermione stared in horror as Fenix captured two whole rows of her beads. It had seemed that there were more black beads a minute ago but now it seemed that the blacks were merely dotting amidst the whites. Hermione placed her last bead in defeat as she captured three more beads yet she could count her beads on her two hands. 

"Wait a minute, Hermione won us all and with Professor Snape, a draw. So how come you defeated her so soundly?" Ron asked in amazement. "Play with Hermione, one more time…" the Weasley urged. Fenix defeated Hermione again. 

"Unbelievable…what's your secret?" 

"Strategy…what else?" Fenix said, as if she could not believe that Ron had asked such a simple question. "Remus, do you have any idea how I did it?" 

"I was watching pretty carefully but it evaded me completely." 

"I am so disappointed…Sirius?" Fenix looked at her oathbrother and shook her head in disappointment. "Severus, I want you to watch how I play carefully. If you ferret out my secret I'll just eat salad for dinner." 

"And serves you right if he finds the answer," Sirius said dryly. 

"Just giving him the incentive…so watch carefully…I'll be terribly disappointed if you just let the bet go to waste," Fenix replied easily, giving a small smile. 

Fenix played with Hermione for the third time and Snape paid careful attention to where Fenix had placed her beads. _She seems to snake her way around to get the corners of the board…_ Snape found that his observation was not far from wrong. _Granger is concentrated far too heavily in the center that it won't make a difference with her last bead_, Snape mused, scratching his chin lightly. 

"I give up," Hermione sighed. 

"Would you allow me to play?" Snape asked Fenix politely. 

"Testing your theory on how it works?" Fenix said with a broad smile. Snape nodded and Hermione made way for the Potion Master as he knelt on the floor. They held their breaths as they watched the slow contest between the two. Fenix's smile grew wider and wider, and as Severus placed his last bead, she laughed happily. 

"Thank goodness you didn't disappoint me!" 

Ron and Hermione took the task of counting the beads with the Potions Master losing five beads to Fenix. "So what's the secret to play this game successfully and to make it more challenging?" her silver twinkling merrily as she questioned Snape. 

"Maneuvering your way so you'll be able to occupy the edges…and to make your hits last…" Snape said haltingly. 

"Good man!" Fenix applauded. "Now you guys can practice while I get myself a good breakfast." 

Ron snorted his amusement and watched Hermione dreamily as she began to play with the Potions Master. The Muggle game seemed to gather everyone closer to each other and soon enough, Harry got the courage to banter back at the Potions Master and Snape was mellow enough to be treated like the rest of them. Fenix suppressed the urge to go outside and yell out with happiness, but she found she could not stop smiling every time she watched the rest of the group interact with the Potions Master easily. 

_ Dear Gods! I'm so happy that I think I'm going to cry… _Fenix quickly blinked her eyes as she felt tears welling up. _This is good! So good!_

_ : So it worked… : _Silver watched her carefully. Fenix hugged the silver wolf in pure glee. 

_ : I wasn't sure if Severus was keen to be led along…but he's doing fine! He still has a few barbs but that's okay! : _Fenix giggled in his mind, her mindvoice filled with elation. 

_ : Good job, dear, :_ Wind approved, and watched the company with surprising gentleness in her eyes. 

********** 


	25. Meeting

****

~ Chapter 25: Meeting ~   


****

Sunday, 27th August. The day of the Meeting…

Everyone had woken up unusually early and they were bustling about the house, taking care of Mrs. Weasley's numerous errands. The presence of the Fire Master was able to soothe the woman's nerves as Mrs. Weasley sought to prepare a number of dishes and refreshments for the people attending the meeting that night. The male adults were up in the sitting room, trying to make the room as functional as possible but the youths were starting to feel useless and wandered about aimlessly until they heard Mrs. Weasley called for them. 

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley?" Harry was the first to poke his head into the kitchen. 

"Did Sirius or any of them give you something to do?" Mrs. Weasley asked, and was relieved when Harry shook his head. The woman heaved a large bag of potatoes and handed it to Harry, and the teenage boy staggered at the weight. 

"Ron--there you are…take these and you ought to help Harry…" Mrs. Weasley quickly handed Ron several peelers and a large rubbish bag. 

"Hello, guys…" Fenix greeted the group of Gryffindors as they walked into the hall, smiling a little and then concentrated on sifting her flour. The Fire Master was dressed in simple Muggle clothes that morning, wearing a dark blue Linkin Park T-shirt and her faded blue jeans. Like Sirius, she had taken to walk about the house barefooted. Ron placed the trash bag down and the four youths sat around it in a circle and began peeling the potatoes. 

"What are you baking?" Harry asked the Fire Master. 

"A variety of things and I'm supposed to finish by four in the afternoon. I've already done the marble cake…now I have chocolate cake, Victorian sandwiches, scones and custard puffs, mango pudding…some butter cookies and Sirius wants more gingersnap," she said absently. 

"Why don't you do all of these in the kitchen?" Ginny asked curiously as she pared her potato deftly. 

"It's a family trait, I think. I get a little selfish with space when I really, really need to work in the kitchen. But it looks like your mother needs the space more than I do and it's not good for me to get in her way. She has already managed to work herself into panic. I don't think I want to accelerate her tension." 

Ron nodded his agreement and paid careful attention to his potato. They were halfway through the bag of potatoes when Moody and McGonagall came in and several more members of the Order trickled in. 

"Saw anything weird, Moody?" Fenix questioned as she began to batter the cake mix. 

"If you mean having the Death Eaters skirting about the shield, yes, it was weird," Moody replied then cackled roughly. 

"What kind of idiots are they?" Fenix asked in amusement. "They're just attracting trouble for themselves…" her voice suddenly trailed off. "I wonder what His plans are that the Lucius Malfoy is still walking about." 

"He's alive?" Harry asked, his eyes alert. 

"Yup…but it seemed that the stick did major damage to his eye and his pretty face…oh I see. He's giving out instructions to pull back…" Fenix replied, and suddenly a sphere-like substance appeared before her. Before long, they saw images flickering on it and they were able to hear the wizard's voice. 

__

"It's useless for us to remain here…the Master does not want to risk any more lives…we'll make a move when we're ready. He has other plans," the voice of Lucius Malfoy whispered harshly. 

__

"But the Master did instruct us to find out more about the strange woman…if only you had your wits about, Lucius…you could have retained your memory," a tall, huge man in dark blue whispered back. 

"Aelwyn…go sent some of your kind and spy on them…don't make yourself too obvious, though." 

"Don't worry, lady. It isn't the first time we do intelligence work, you know," the Sylph replied with dignity. 

"Still, be careful." Fenix dissolved the image and concentrated on pouring the right amount of hot chocolate that Krill had been warming for her into the batter. Professor McGonagall looked at the nondescript Fire Master with interest. 

"Lucius's memory of you and the encounter has been erased?" 

"It seems so…I wish I knew what He was up to…none of the Death Eaters or Voldemort--," McGonagall winced as Fenix said his name casually, "are aware of the existence of the Elves nor does he know the peculiarities of the Elementals. I wonder if Mr. Malfoy remembered that I was the one who had erased Severus's Dark Mark …well, I'm not going to worry about it." Fenix shrugged as she folded the batter carefully and reached for tin and poured the cake mixture into it. Two Salamanders took it and then vanished. 

"Fenix, what did you do to the cake?" Hermione asked quizzically. 

"I've sent it to the Salamanders for baking of course," Fenix said in surprise, smiling wickedly. "Gods, Hermione!" the Fire Master chuckled. "You seriously don't think that Sirius's oven will be able to cope with the extravaganza? I know it's big but with two women rushing to prepare an extended menu, it's quite difficult you know." 

"How convenient…" Hermione replied dryly. 

"Fenix?" Mrs. Weasley approached the Fire Master with a tray of stuffed chicken. "Would you mind asking the Salamanders to cook this slowly for me?" 

"See…" Fenix said humorously. The stuffed chicken immediately vanished from the woman's hands and she went back to her kitchen. 

"Where do they go to bake them?" Harry asked curiously, peeling the last of the potato. Hermione got up to stretch and Ginny went to the kitchen for further instructions on the peeled potatoes. 

"Somewhere in the house…believe it or not. If you guys come across a locked door, don't give your wand a wave and say _'Alohomora'_. You'll regret it." 

__

: Then don't you think it's prudent that you should inform those blokes up there who is wondering if they should expand the sitting room? : Silver's mindvoice called out, his tone very much amused. 

"What are they trying to do?" Fenix asked, getting up and dusted her shirt. 

__

: They're deciding if they should break the wall, : Wind replied. Fenix chuckled and vanished as she Teleported herself into the sitting room, surprising the Potions Master tremendously. 

"Did not mean to surprise you, Severus," Fenix said apologetically. "Just popped in to warn you not to think about exposing this side of the room," the Fire Master gestured at the wall adjoining the other sitting room. 

"Why?" Remus asked as he gave a little frown. 

"Because the whole house will heat up like a very hot sweat-house if you do. My Salamanders are baking in there." 

"Oh…luckily you warned us," Sirius sighed then looked about the room. "Any suggestions on how to make the room bigger?" 

"Remove all the unnecessary furniture," Fenix pointed to several of the furniture about the room. "Then you should place the table horizontally right here…" Fenix tapped her foot about her current position. "Anyway, just call me if you need more help. And don't get too curious about the next room." She vanished without a sound as the three wizards exchanged glances and shrugged, waving their wands, as the furniture vanished up into the attic. 

She reappeared in the hallway and to Harry's surprise she vanished again. 

"What is she up to?" he asked in a piqued voice. 

__

: She's designing a very large warning sign on the door where her Salamanders are massed, : Silver said helpfully. 

Ginny came back, struggling to carry a very large pail that was filled with water. "Mom says to wash the potatoes and then dice them." 

Fenix popped back into the hall and resumed her chores. Time passed quickly as the youths amused themselves by wagering on which potato will be diced the fastest. Moody stayed to guard the entrance. More of the members came as the evening slowly approached. Fenix and the youths had already finished their tasks and were going up to the second floor to get a breath and relaxed as they waited their turn to wash in the bathroom. Hermione curiously laid the flat of her palm on the door where the Salamanders had congregated and exclaimed that the door was warm to her touch. 

Fenix went to the other sitting room where her oathbrother was and nodded her head in approval as she came into a very empty room. 

"Where did you say we should place the table?" Sirius said, his voice sounding indecisive, as the big rectangular table floated four inches from the floor. 

"Would you get on with it?" Snape tapped his foot impatiently and Fenix took pity on the three wizards. _They look just about ready to drop._

"Place the table there," Fenix answered, gesturing at a spot. Together, Remus, Sirius and Snape moved the floating massive table in concert and placed it gently down on the floor. Snape instantly conjured up chairs and arranged them quickly around the table. 

"I doubt that all of us can get a seat," Remus remarked casually, massaging his aching neck. 

"Severus," Fenix started, as she leaned against the wall to look at the Potions Master. "What are the objectives of the meeting?" 

Snape stared at her for a moment as he tucked his wand back to its hideout before answering her. "I guess, mainly to introduce you and the new members. Other than that, I'm sure that the Headmaster wishes to address his concern for the safety of the students." 

"Yes, your observation is indeed accurate, Severus," a husky voice emerged from the corridor, and the ancient, most powerful wizard stepped in to the room, looking about him critically. "Adequate," the Headmaster turned to Fenix, who was watching the sorcerer calmly. "Some of my friends and fellow colleagues had been demanding about your whereabouts. Moody insisted that you were among us but they chose not to believe him," his eyes twinkled with amusement as he spoke. 

Fenix looked down at herself and gave the Headmaster a crooked smile. "I bet that no one had noticed the famous Harry Potter either?" she asked archly and Remus exchanged an amused look with her oathbrother. "It's just like they don't believe a king will go down and toil the farmland himself," the Fire Master commented, earning a throaty chuckle from Professor Dumbledore. 

"Anyway," the Headmaster began, "other organizations would be having similar meetings in other parts of the world to ensure their own security." 

"Is there any chance that Voldemort will go and attack other countries first?" Fenix asked suddenly. 

"It's unlikely but I do not dare say it is impossible," the aged Headmaster conceded. "But I hope and pray that it does not come down to that." 

"Hello, Professor," Harry greeted the wizard from behind. 

"Good afternoon, Harry." 

Harry peeked into the room and finally located Fenix. "The bathroom's free." 

"Okie…" Fenix smiled and pushed herself off the wall. She winked at Remus who suddenly looked a little flustered. Harry left the corridor, feeling suddenly like an intruder and went off to find his friends in each bedroom. 

"Well, Severus…I am absolutely pleased to have Miss Maxwell with us," Professor Dumbledore gave a piercing look at the Potions Master. "Already I have seen some changes in you. That's good…and as you can see for yourself, taking a vacation once in a while with the right company would do wonders…" the Headmaster said magnanimously as he headed out of the room.   
  
"God…" Remus sighed. "I'm going to take a bath and then find some place and lie down for a bit. I'll see you later, Padfoot." 

That left Harry's godfather and the Potions Master in the same room. Before the tension in the room became tangible, Sirius took several steps forward and paused beside the silent Snape. Sirius did not face the Potions Master as he said softly, "I am sorry, Severus." Sirius went out of the room without another word and Snape stared at his back in shock. 

**********

"Now, don't think I like your decisions Ron, but I know you can't help it," Mrs. Weasley said shortly. "Better go and assemble in the meeting room. Harry, where's Fenix?" 

"She's with Remus--" 

"Don't bother them then." 

"--and Sirius." Harry finished his sentence and Mrs. Weasley shook her head, embarrassed at her conclusion. 

"Please fetch them for me, would you, Harry?" 

Harry got up from his seat and placed Hedwig back on her sturdy perch. He went on to Fenix's bedroom and found them laughing merrily as they drank glasses of pumpkin juice. 

__

: Hello there. How are you doing? : Sirius asked his godson. 

__

: I should be fine, : Harry said sarcastically and Fenix gave a soft chuckle._ : Mrs. Weasley wants all of us to go into the meeting room now. :_

__

: Asoka, : Fenix answered, getting up from her curled position and bounded to her feet. 

"You speak Japanese?" Remus asked in wonder. 

"A bit but I understand the language better than I could speak it," Fenix said modestly. "So, Harry, do you think I'm much visible now I'm all dressed up?" 

"Kind of…" Harry said, feeling a little uncertain when Fenix suddenly grinned devilishly. 

"Then maybe I should dress up like how I did dress up this morn," she said jovially, her face lighting up with merriment. 

"You can, but don't blame me if Ron and Ginny decide to team up and jinx you," Harry said in mock despair. She laughed and gave the youth a kiss on the cheek before eyeing Remus mischievously, making the werewolf blush. 

__

: What's that about? : Harry asked his godfather, his voice sounding a little baffled. 

__

: You wouldn't understand it, Harry, : Sirius replied in mock solemnity. 

Remus walked ahead of them as Fenix fall back to walk beside Sirius. 

__

: I hope you don't mind me sharing your godfather's company, : Fenix said privately to Harry. The boy looked at her in surprise. 

__

: Why should I? : Harry questioned her curiously. 

__

: Don't you feel like I'm an intruder to your life or something? : 

__

: No…I dunno…I feel that you've been with him all this time. It's strange, isn't it? : 

__

: You really don't mind then? : She asked anxiously and gave a tremulous smile when Harry shook his head slightly. They entered the room and squeezed right in next to the twins who winked at them in greeting. "Kind of crowded in here," Fenix tiptoed to whisper in Fred's ear. 

"Feeling a little small?" the twin said and winced when Fenix casually pinched him. "Ouch." They were distracted suddenly when benches appeared over their heads and the Headmaster announced that the meeting would begin. They took their seats, with Fenix sandwiched between Harry and Fred and watched attentively as Dumbledore cleared his throat. 

"Welcome all, members of the Order. We are assembled here to discuss some major and important stuff regarding of our actions in the next few days. But first, I would like introduce you to some new members who would be at least be contributing something for the Order. Conal Bryson," as Professor Dumbledore called out his name, the wizard stood up from his bench and inclined his head for a moment, before sitting down again, "Fearn and Blade McNoel, Jason Reef and Kage Aoshi. They are the junior Aurors of the Order, with various talents that will be useful to us in time. Spies for the Order and Ministry: Hassan and Jareet Idris and Michael Wee. Fred and George Weasley, Aerona Aisley, Clas Dursmii, who do intelligence work for me. And as you all know: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron and Ginny Weasley." Dumbledore raised his hand to cut off the protests that were about to emerge from some of the older looking witches and wizards. "It is absolutely better for them to work with us than having them making the mistake to rectify problems by themselves," he said calmly and that managed to satisfy them a bit. "Now, I have the honor to present someone whom has so far not only changed Sirius's life, but also our Professor Snape and the entire Weasley family. Miss Fenix Maxwell." 

Fenix felt totally uncomfortable at the many pair of eyes staring at her, silently assessing her. She kept her expression still as she stood up and inclined her head gravely to the company. She smiled slightly when she caught both Hermione and Ginny giving her the thumbs-up. She was about to resume her seat when she felt a familiar presence and one horrified thought flitted in her mind. _He must be crazy._ _: Albus, an Elven Lord is waiting outside the door. Might I invite him to the meeting? : _Fenix asked the Headmaster, who looked a little surprised but recovered his composure and nodded slightly. _: Hang on, I'll be back, :_ Fenix said to Harry as she made her way gracefully to the back of the room. 

__

I am definitely going to strangle Aldren when I get a chance to… She briskly walked down the stairs and nodded to Tonks who was guarding the door. She looked hesitantly at Fenix but complied and two richly dressed elves walked into the room. 

"Everything going all right?" Fenix whispered to Tonks. 

"Yeah…" the Metamorphmagus answered just as softly. 

__

: I'm going to kill the both of you later, : Fenix threatened Mineif and Cadriel severely. 

__

: I thought it was supposed to be hugs and kisses? : The Elven Lord looked innocently back at her. Fenix led them towards the meeting room and the occupants looked at the pair of elves in amazement. 

"I'm sure you want me to ensure that there will no leakage of information after the meeting is over?" Fenix spoke to the Headmaster. He nodded and Fenix took several seconds to place a spell upon the entire company and spoke up again. "Ladies, gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to my friends, allies and kin. This is Mineif, the Elven Lord of Shadow Wood and his Mage and Warrior, Cadriel." 

The Elven Lord looked solemnly at the Headmaster and spoke with accented English. "I must beg pardon for the sudden intrusion, but I believe that having myself here and not a spokesperson will allow us to probe certain issues into greater detail." 

"Your presence in this meeting are much welcome." Dumbledore inclined his head politely. Harry abandoned his seat and offered it to the Elven Lord. 

__

: Thank you, Mr. Potter, : was all Mineif said. Harry went to stand beside his godfather while Fenix and Cadriel stood at Mineif's back. 

Thus the meeting began and the Headmaster highlighted on issues of the safety of students, treaties and alliances and intelligence reports of the Dark Lord. They were discussing and debating on the issue of giving protection to the various Ministers when Hermione timidly raised her hand. 

"Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked kindly. 

"I seriously think we should consider putting more effort in St. Mungo," Hermione said in a soft voice. Total silence. Hermione looked down in embarrassment and prayed that nothing bad will happen to her. 

"The young witch is right, Albus," a witch with a very stern look on her face spoke up. "We do have a couple of ex-Aurors there, and it's the best hospital in the wizarding world. It's either we put more protection to it or we move it to a safer area." 

That began a new discussion with most of them agreeing that they should find a much safer occupation. "As difficult task this will be," a handsome black wizard spoke up as her rubbed his temple tiredly, "we have to do it because we simply do not have much Aurors with us now. We're stretched thin enough as we are already. It'll be a pretty hectic day for us come the first of September." 

Then came the hardest part of the meeting, trying to gain the aid of the elves to act as a back-up force. They finally concluded that the elves would willingly help if their part in the war remained a secret to everyone else, and Mineif stressed especially on the media and the Ministry. 

"When you have Fenix, it can be said it is useless to have the rest of us around," Cadriel said soberly. "I have several suggestions that you might want to consider carefully. The first: your concern regarding the welfare of the family of Muggle-born students. You do not have to worry about them, as it is better and easier for us to keep an eye on. For the wizard families, if they happen to have house-elves, then that's where you will get protection. That is one of the ancient duties of the house-elf. But if they don't have one," Cadriel looked at Fenix with a smile. 

"We will help," an airy voice emerged from a source above their heads. 

The meeting went on until about two-thirty the next morning, mainly making clear of the details on the major congregation of students, while munching on the snacks that both Fenix and Mrs. Weasley had prepared during the day. The company departed in threes every ten minutes and it was about four in the morning when the elves turned to leave. Only Dumbledore and Moody were left in the house of Blacks and Fenix advanced on the unsuspecting pair. 

__

: Now, this is the time for me to skin you both. Cadriel, how could you let him step out of the Grove? And Mineif, how could you be so reckless to come up here? : Fenix said angrily, although her face remained impassive. 

"Well, it was safe for us t--" Cadriel began meekly, and looked down in embarrassment when Fenix stared him at him icily. 

__

: What did you tell your sons? : Fenix asked relentlessly. Mineif stared at his former student uneasily. "What am I going to do with the both of you?" she asked herself. "Mineif, please…please stay at home. Leave the work to your underlings. It will not be good to the Wood if you were to…" she could not find the courage to continue her sentence. Mineif looked tenderly at the Fire Master and embraced her. 

__

: I promise, young Fenix. And thank you for caring, : Mineif whispered softly in her mind. Cadriel hugged her briefly and shook Sirius's hand before they headed out. 

"Stupid elves…" Fenix muttered. She realized that Snape and Remus was looking at her strangely. "What?" 

"I thought that her nature to mother everyone is because perhaps, to her we all look and behave like children. But I can't believe my eyes when she did the same thing to the Elven Lord," Remus said truthfully and winced when Fenix glared at him. 

"A mother hen, am I?" Fenix hissed. 

"Uh…oh…" Ginny said softly. 

"I'm going to bed!" Sirius yelled and fled away from the hall, taking Snape and Harry away absently, leaving the couple to bicker. 

**********


	26. Skulking Away

**~ Chapter 26: Skulking Away ~**   


**Wednesday, 30th August. The Headquarters…**

It was after lunch and the two females decided to take a break. "Cool it, Ginny. Don't get yourself worked up." 

"Why is it that Harry can shield his mind so quickly and I can't?" Ginny fretted. 

"I have no idea actually. Maybe…you should try to learn Occlumency, since you're having trouble doing it my way," Fenix said thoughtfully. 

"No way…" 

"Yes way, Ginny-lass…" Fenix said wickedly, exercising her numb fingers. 

"Does it have to be _him_?" the sole sister of the Weasley asked in a small voice. 

"Fenix?" Harry popped his head into Fenix's bedroom, and prevented her from answering Ginny's question. 

"What's up?" 

"Sn--Professor Snape's in quite a dilemma right now," he informed her. Fenix gave him a curious look but the boy just shrugged and they followed Fenix into the sitting room where Snape was frowning to himself. 

_ : Bro, what's wrong with him? : _Fenix looked down at her oathbrother who was practicing Reversi with Ron. 

_ : You should ask him yourself, : _Sirius said in good humor. 

"Afternoon, Severus." Fenix said abruptly. "I'm not going to beat around the bush so I'll be blunt. What's up?" 

Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry, and the boy stared at him right back, unafraid. Snape remained quiet for approximately five minutes before giving up, and gave a long sigh. He looked directly at Fenix who watching the man patiently, with her arms crossed. 

"I have to get to King's Cross tomorrow," Snape began, trying to force the words out of his mouth. 

"Yes, I know that." Fenix nodded and waited for him to continue. 

"We can't afford to be spotted by Muggles…" 

Fenix tilted her head as she contemplated his words and it finally hit her. "You don't have the appropriate garments?" The Potions Master gave a tight nod. Fenix eyed Snape carefully, trying to picture him in normal human clothes and nearly laughed aloud when she pictured him wearing very casual stuff. "Oh dear…we _are _in a predicament…" Fenix said lamely. Snape began to frown again. Fenix took a chair, sat near Remus, and fiddled with her hair as she began to think. _Something formal…and something black…and long-sleeved too. Will dark blue work? Nope…impossible. He looks wrong in colors except black_. "Severus, let me have a look at your shoes," she spoke up suddenly. 

The Potions Master looked up at her and uncertainly stretched his feet out. Fenix critically examined his boots. _His shoes look normal to my eye…so I can ignore his footwear._

_ : We're not allowed to go out, am I right? : _Fenix asked Remus, who was entertaining Crookshanks with his fingers. 

_ : Yes…it's too bad that none of us are his size. Any ideas…lover? :_ Remus said in a very sly mindvoice. 

_ : Yeah, I do, but I had better warn Tonks on the elf that I plan to invite. :_

_ : Lion? : Fenix called out softly._ She felt the fumbling of a sleepy elf trying to get his thought across. 

_ : Who is that? :_

_ : It's me, Fenix. :_

_ : Long time no hear, babe. :_ Fenix felt the elf's grin in her mind. _: How are you? : _Lion asked. His mindvoice sounded more alert this time. 

_ : Well enough. Listen, I need your help in getting someone some clothes… :_ Fenix said slowly. 

_ : For whom? Your lover? :_

_ : How fast does news travel to you guys? : _Fenix suddenly asked out of annoyance. 

_ : Fast enough. We do have our own spy network you know, : _Lion replied sardonically. 

_ : Yeah, whatever. So you do know, where I am now right? :_

_ : Yes. You want me to come over for the measurements? How fast do you need the clothes? :_

_ : I'm afraid that it has to be on my hands in less than twenty-four hours, and yes, you should come down here and take a look at the guy. :_

_ : _That_ urgent? Well, expect me in about maybe twenty…thirty minutes time. Do tell the bouncer outside. She's kind of cute. :_

_ : I'm sorry to disappoint you but I think she's already been taken. :_

_ : How sad. Well, I'll see you later. :_

"Done!" Fenix exclaimed suddenly and looked bashfully at Snape when he glared at her. "Sorry," she said softly then went out of the room and beckoned to Ash. 

"Your girlfriend's on watch outside, right?" 

The nonplussed Ash nodded his head and looked dubiously at Fenix. 

"Would you ask her to permit a man, dressed in dark blue and has a pair of dark blue earrings attached, in here?" 

"But that would jeopardize the security!" Ash protested vehemently. 

"That's what the shield outside is for. It would not let anyone cross over unless that someone is innocent. So if my friend is unable to cross the shield then don't bother about it," Fenix assured the tall man. 

"If you're sure about it." 

"I will be here with you when he enters. I could give him triple scans. How about it?" Fenix negotiated with the wizard. 

"Sounds good." 

It was about twenty minutes later when the magical bolts and locks opened and Tonks, who was looking at Fenix in a bewildered manner, came in. Lion stepped in quickly behind the woman and Fenix had to shake her head as she grinned with amusement. She spent a moment Looking at the elf and he cocked his head in inquiry. 

_ : Spot check approved? :_

_ : Just being cautious. :_

"People wouldn't believe that someone who look like you do is happy enough being a tailor," Fenix said lightly, and Lion shrugged indifferently. 

"So, who is it that's needing the clothes?" Lion asked as she led him up the stairs and proceeded to the sitting room. 

"I'm not really sure. I can't really say he's a friend because I don't know if he wants me to be his friend. To play safe, he's an acquaintance," she replied shortly as they entered the room, her friends watching the elf curiously. "Everyone, this is Lion, and he's a tailor. And there's your client," Fenix looked pointedly at Snape. 

"Well, let's get on with it," Lion announced and went briskly to attend the Potions Master. 

********** 

Lion tucked his notebook back in his pocket and looked at Fenix for further instructions. 

"Collar, long sleeves, get a suitable belt for him too, and the garment _must_ be black," the Fire Master instructed firmly, gave a sly look at the elf, and beckoned him out to the corridor. _: Free service or do I have to pay? : _Fenix asked the handsome elf, who suddenly began to blush. _: Never mind that…here. :_ Fenix pressed several notes into his palm, which he clutched tightly. 

_ : This is really embarrassing, :_ Lion informed her just how much the situation was disturbing him. 

_ : Balderdash. :_ Fenix snorted. _: When can it be ready? :_

_ : Maybe mid-morning or noon, :_ Lion replied confidently. 

_ : Okie… Call me when you're coming. Moody will be on watch and I hate to think what will happen to you or him if he were to chase you. :_

********** 

**Thursday, 31st August. The Headquarters…**

Fenix was meditating quietly in the sitting room when Snape came in, immaculately dressed as always, a _Daily Prophet _tucked in his arm as he carried a fresh pot of hot chocolate. Hedwig glided silently over Snape's head and landed carefully on Fenix's shoulder. 

"Morning," Snape greeted curtly, and she greeted him in a more cheerful tone. Wordlessly, Snape poured a cup for the Fire Master and settled down in his usual seating place. Fenix chuckled a little when Hedwig decided to preen her hair. Fenix kept on meditating, freeing her mind and used the opportunity to reenergize herself and trained silently within the depths of her mind. Hedwig launched herself from Fenix's shoulders to perch on her favorite chair. Snape looked at the Fire Master uneasily and choked back on his words. _Not now… I don't think she's able to hear me anyway._

Fenix was aware that someone was calling her and abruptly opened her eyes. It was Snape, and he looked very uneasy for some reason. "Were you calling me, Severus?" 

Snape cleared his throat several times before he managed to whisper, "I never did properly thanked you for what happened to me that night," Snape flushed slightly, not looking at the Fire Master._ I can't believe that I'm doing this…_

Fenix gave him a bright smile that made him look at the Fire Master in wonder. "It was my pleasure to do it…I'm honored actually." 

Snape could not say anything so he turned his attention to the _Daily Prophet_. Fenix reached out for her mug of chocolate when she exclaimed and placed the mug back on the table. "Don't tell me he was working all night!" she muttered and went off and bounded down the stairs. The elf was already waiting for her, Snape's clothes ready on one arm. 

"Tried to call but I think you were meditating or something. Anyways, I'm all right, Mad-Eye here didn't gut me or anything," Lion said casually as he handed her Snape's new clothes. 

"You didn't sleep?" Fenix asked, feeling a little guilty. 

"Don't be silly. You know our kind doesn't need much sleep. See you around and take care. Bye, Mad-Eye!" 

Fenix was looking at Moody, and he grinned sadistically at her. She cast her eyes upwards and trotted back up. She called out happily to Snape. "Your suit's ready!" 

********** 

**Friday, 1st September. Time to get to the station…**

Fenix woke up automatically and sighed in contentment as she snuggled close to Remus._ Don't dawdle girl. Neither Remus nor Sirius will forgive you if you don't wake them soon. _She woke Remus up with a kiss and he roused immediately. 

_ : Hmmm…resting days is over. Back to work now. :_ Remus gave her a sleepy smile and she turned towards Sirius. 

_ : Bro, :_ Fenix touched her oathbrother's palm lightly, _: time to get up. :_

_ : So soon? : _Sirius complained, catching her hand and giving a squeeze that she returned. 

_ : Better wake the kids up first and then you can go and bathe. They should be rousing when you finish bathing, :_ Remus advised as he put on his robe._ : Padfoot, get up before you regret it. :_ The werewolf poked his best friend playfully at Sirius's side. 

Fenix did a couple of stretches to get rid of her drowsiness and silently crept into the bedroom next door to wake the girls up. Ginny was mumbling protests but Hermione quickly jerked up into a sitting position, surprising the hell out of Fenix. The Fire Master was not expecting the Granger's quick reflexes; Hermione woke the moment she touched the girl's shoulder lightly. Fenix was indecisive as to enter the boys' room but her partner solved it for her, handing a towel to her and opened the door to wake the boys. 

By the time Fenix had showered, the guys were helping to carry the girls' trunks down. Sirius was carrying his and Fenix's black trunks down to the hall when she finally stepped out of the bathroom. The Fire Master greeted the bleary-eyed Ginny who muttered something incomprehensible under her breath, as she headed to the bathroom for her turn to wash. Fenix went quickly into the bedroom to change. She stuffed her laundry into a bag before placing it into another black trunk, where they were to keep their last minute accessories. She quickly wore her underwear and changed into her Hunting gear. Remus came in behind her to steal a kiss and a hug and helped her to fasten her black cloak. 

_ : You look wonderful, :_ he whispered gently in her mind, stealing another kiss. 

_ : You too. The haircut was a wonder, : _Fenix said impishly as she recalled on how Remus and Harry reacted when they found themselves suddenly floating about the room with a pair of scissors and a mirror hanging in mid-air. She laughed. 

Sirius had washed up and Fenix helped him to don on his clothes, and prompted him to tuck his shirt neatly. The Salamanders were hovering about her hair as they dried and brushed it, so that she was unable to do anything but fold the clothes that Sirius had just discarded. They pulled her hair back to a straight ponytail and left it at that, giving her almost an icy expression. 

"Why the severe style?" she asked at the air around her. 

"So that you would scare any students who tries to make trouble during the journey," Krill's deep voice answered. 

"I think he's referring to the Slytherins," Harry remarked as he paused outside the bedroom to examine Fenix. "I'm glad you did not decide to disappoint us. Can I repeat that you do look like Sirius?" 

"Whatever," Fenix said, smiling a little, "hadn't you better gel up your hair?" 

"Can't…Ron's still in the bathroom and there's no other mirror in the house," Harry informed her. 

"We can style your hair for you," a young Salamander said excitedly. Harry shrugged and went to fetch a comb and the bottle of gel, which was already on the way by floating on the Salamander's back. Fenix glanced at her wristwatch, showing that it was nine-forty exactly. 

"Fenix?" Hermione called out. The girl was showing signs of vexation with her hair, and Fenix chuckled, drawing the girl into the bedroom and calmly brushed the girl's hair and braided it for the young woman. 

"Thank you. If not for the fact that I hate to have short hair, I would have cut it," Hermione sighed, then began to systematically stuff all her unwanted hair accessories back into a small trunk. Sirius and Remus were already downstairs with the wolves, which had cast illusions upon themselves to look like very adorable dogs. 

Remus ushered Fenix into the kitchen when she came down and placed a toast in her right hand and a mug of chocolate on the other. He dashed out of the kitchen to help Sirius wrap their brooms, and Fenix nearly choked on her chocolate when Snape came in, looking nothing like the Potions Master every one knew before. 

"Do I look that terrible?" Snape asked curtly as he drank a bit of chocolate. Fenix felt it was wise not to say anything. _As if I could find my tongue to speak out right now…_

Ginny bustled in to the kitchen, shouldering the Potions Master aside. _Probably mistaken him for Sirius,_ Fenix thought with humor. The girl suddenly stopped in the action of eating a toast and whirled around suddenly, her eyes wide with amazement. 

"Professor Snape?" Ginny and Harry called out in disbelief. Snape growled at them and gave Fenix an accusatory glare. "Dear Merlin," Hermione breathed when she paused beside Harry. "I think I'm going to faint." 

"Nice," Aelwyn complimented, although no one could really see her, except for Fenix and Hermione, so they could not be sure just what exactly the Sylph was complimenting. The Sylph hovered near Fenix for a moment, smiling brightly at Snape before vanishing. 

"I agree…" Fenix replied absently and finished her toast and poured herself a cup of plain water. 

"Can't any of you people tell me how I really look?" 

"You really want to know the truth, Severus?" Fenix asked slowly, she stood on tiptoes to whisper to the Potions Master. "I'm not lying but you look very attractive. That's me of course, but I bet when people glance at you for the first time, they'll see a very stern but at the same time, a striking man." 

Sirius stopped the threshold of the kitchen and looked archly at the Potions Master while Remus whistled his astonishment. 

_ : Fenix, I hope you are not considering to throw me and snatch that fellow instead, : _Remus said plaintively. 

_ : Silly man. I'm yours and you know it. : _Fenix gave him a wink. _: But he does look good, right? :_

"All right kids, it's time to move!" Mr. Weasley called out. "Moody's keeping an eye outside!" 

The males helped carry the trunks out and soon, they were all under the benevolent warmth of the sun. Fenix breathed in the autumn scent gratefully then began to scan the crowd instinctively. 

_ : You can't believe how relieved I am to be under a sky, :_ Fenix said fervently. 

_ : Seems like I'm not the only one who was feeling a little imprisoned back there, :_ Harry agreed silently, and paused over the steps to tilt his face up to the sky. 

Moody came up to Sirius and whispered, "Make a move. Coast's clear." The ex-Auror went ahead of them and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley followed directly behind him. Just like on the night they were flying to the rendezvous point, the kids were shielded by the adults, and by some of their own family members. Sirius and Fenix walked casually and slowly as they scanned the surroundings and Fenix carefully tagged a Death Eater who was coming around on a bend. 

_ : Moody, Death Eater to your left, approximately seventy-six meters from us. He's watching us pretty carefully, :_ Fenix informed the scout, and scanned the crowd again. Edginess began spreading to the group and Fenix Felt their tension. She prayed they would reach the station without any kinds of unnecessary incidents. 

_ : Lady, there's a group of Death Eaters waiting for you and they looked like they really mean business, :_ Krill filled her in and after a silent consultation with Moody, Fenix broadcast that they were to take a little side trip, which was actually a short-cut to the station. Somewhere in the distant, Fenix felt the group of Death Eaters burst in irritation and annoyance and began rushing for the station. 

_ : Let's hurry. Moody, inform the guards. : _Fenix hung back to watch the entire area. 

_ : I'm on it, :_ Moody's mindvoice grated._ : All right. They've been warned, so let's go in. :_ They wove their way about the crowd where Fearn and Blade were taking care of the students' trunks while Mr. Weasley and the twins helped to take over Fenix's and the suitcases of the others. 

_ : There…that's the wall that we have to walk into. But we have to be casual about it, :_ Sirius warned as he eyed the wall and Fenix scanned the crowd. The group huddled and waited for a momentary lull in the crowd to take place naturally. The moment Fenix said 'go', Bill, with Ron and Hermione stood at the wall, then slowly leaned in and they disappeared. 

_ : Remus, Harry, and Ginny… you're next. Quick! No one's coming! : _Fenix said urgently and the three, with their trolleys, dived straight for the wall. Fearn and Blade was the next pair to move, followed by the twins and their parents. 

"Moody?" Sirius asked but the Auror shook his head. 

"I have to keep an eye here." 

"Moody, if you don't mind, two of my Elementals will be staying with you. They're the ones appointed to protect the Weasley family in The Burrow," Fenix said softly, and the ex-Auror gave a nod. 

"Severus," Moody grumbled. Snape gave a casual kick to his trolley and went straight into the wall. "And the four of you," Moody's magical eye stared at the two 'dogs' for a moment, "watch each others' backs." 

"Be well and safe," Fenix whispered and the wolves went in first before Sirius took her arm and guided her to the wall. They came out to another train station where the Hogwarts Express was waiting for passengers to board. Mrs. Weasley gave her children several tight hugs and complained that they should never be so early that there would be time for farewells. 

_ : I get her meaning, : _Fenix said to Sirius as she watched the woman with sympathy and smiled when she included Harry in the tearful hugs. The Fire Master watched Snape with amusement as he got out his wizard's cloak and put it on. The Potions Master was back. Mrs. Weasley was now giving Harry and his friends warnings and advice and was about to set off with another round of hugs. She heard several disdainful snorts and sniggers along with mutterings of Mudbloods and half-blooded wizards from somewhere in the crowd. 

Mrs. Weasley stiffened at the subtle insults and as one, they turned their heads towards where the taunts came from. Several gasps were heard and Fenix saw three pairs of witches' eyes looking at Sirius and her in astonishment, which slowly turned into fear. Fenix remembered the women from her trip to Diagon Alley. Mrs. Malfoy faltered when Fenix gave her a very direct stare in recognition. Mrs. Malfoy was flabbergasted. Her eyes darted from Fenix, and then to her infamous cousin. Fortunately for the witch, another wave of people emerged into the station, and Mrs. Malfoy lost herself in the crowd. 

_ : I wonder… have you seen their sons? : _Fenix asked Harry and Remus. 

_ : Nope, :_ Harry replied, _: but they could already be in the train. :_

"You had better get yourselves seats," Mr. Weasley said to the large company, but kept his eye on the crowd. They gravely shook hands and Remus helped Fenix up to the carriage. The Fire Master stood for a moment on the steps to look at Mrs. Weasley and gave her a salute. She was answered with a tremulous smile. 

It was eleven in the morning and the train was leaving the platform. 

********** 


	27. Train Ride

**~ Chapter 27: Train Ride ~**   


**The journey back to Hogwarts…**

Harry led his godfather and the rest to the back of the train, as Ron and Hermione set off first towards the Prefects' carriage. The students, who had filled each compartment, looked at Harry, Sirius and Fenix curiously. 

"This one's empty!" Ginny called out and immediately went to the next compartment to check the occupants. 

"No--" Fenix looked back at the compartment behind her before continuing her sentence, "_Greenies_?" 

Harry and Sirius snorted with laughter as Fenix said that. The Fire Master helped to carry Hedwig as Sirius and his godson stocked their trunks away. 

"Nope, couple of Ravenclaws in there," Ginny jabbed her finger back as she sat opposite Harry. "Where did Professor Snape go?" 

"I have not gone anywhere," Snape answered as the compartment door slid close, making Ginny flush with embarrassment. "Lupin is with Shacklebolt, keeping an eye on the students at the other end." 

"Bloody hell…" Fenix muttered frowning off to space. 

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked in concern. 

"Those wolves…" she sighed and narrowed her eyes as she reached out a thought. _: Where are you? :_

_ : Don't yell Fenix. I'm with Remus and Wind's with Hermione, : _Silver answered patiently. 

_ : Don't give them trouble all right? : _She sighed with relief. She sat down next to Harry and Sirius squeezed in right beside her. The train was gaining momentum but Snape was still standing, as if uncertain if he should impose himself on their privacy. 

"You better take a seat, Severus." Sirius said lightly and the Potions Master gracefully sat down beside Ginny, who was squirming uneasily in her seat. Fenix smothered her smile with great difficulty but her amusement at the uncomfortable girl was clear as her clear silver eyes twinkled outrageously. Sirius fell into a light doze as the rest looked out at the landscape. Fenix smiled gently as Hedwig hooted drowsily then turned to look at the Potions Master, who was reading a book. 

The woman with the trolley of snacks slid into the compartment and Harry quickly took out some of his money in eagerness. Fenix chuckled as she eyed a bag of cookies that seemed terribly familiar to her. "Is that from the Weasleys'?" Fenix asked the woman courteously. 

"Oh yes! Good cookies and selling quite well!" the woman beamed and Harry deftly took the bag of cookies, Chocolate Frogs, Every Flavor Beans and an assortment of candies before paying the woman generously. He gave the bag of cookies to Fenix and she smiled winsomely at him. 

_ : Thank you. :_

_ : You're welcome, : _Harry grinned as he sat down again. The compartment fell into comfortable silence as Harry, Ginny and Fenix munched down on their snacks, looking out of the window. Once in a while, Fenix offered the bag of cookies to Snape, who was contented to read his book in silence. 

Harry gave a brief glance at the Potions Master before chewing his Beans and looked out the window again. _It's funny how he never mentioned anything about NEWTs or his disbelief that I got an O for his subject. I can't help wondering why he accepted me in his elective class in the first place… And I wonder if Malfoy and his goons would come by to visit me like every year. It would be interesting to see Snape's behaviour when he comes face to face with the progeny of the man who had tried to kill him._ Harry half-smiled at his thoughts and his smile broadened when Ron and Hermione came in with Neville. 

"Hermione, where's Wind?" Fenix asked. 

"She's with Professor Lupin now, and he sends you this," Hermione said as Sirius wordlessly helped to keep the girl's trunk, while she handed Fenix a deep crimson rose. The Fire Master chuckled, trying to cover her embarrassment. She finally gave up and covered her face and she knew she was blushing. Harry choked on his Chocolate Frog, while Ginny doubled up, laughing rather hoarsely. 

_ : Just sent it to say, I love you. : _Remus's mindvoice caressed her mind. 

"Oh dear Phoebus…" Fenix mumbled, trying to control the spread of tingly warmth throughout her entire body. "Ginny!" Fenix protested feebly as the youngest Weasley kept on laughing and Snape had to hold on to the girl's shoulder to prevent her from sliding off her seat. 

Fenix rubbed her cheeks and groaned when she felt her oathbrother's delight at her discomfiture, radiating through their oathbond. She sighed and looked at the stocky boy they had met briefly in Diagon Alley and looked at Hermione for an introduction. 

"Fenix, this is Neville Longbottom," the young girl introduced her to the boy who looked nervously at the Potions Master. "Neville," Hermione shook the boy's arm lightly to catch his attention, "this is Fenix Maxwell, she's Professor Lupin's assistant." Fenix smiled kindly at the boy. 

"And you've met me while I was sailing over The Veil," Sirius spoke up. "Sirius Black." 

"Hello," Neville greeted nervously, smiling a little at Fenix. "So, Professor Lupin's come back to teach us?" 

"Yup!" Harry nodded. 

"Do you mind if I take a seat here?" Neville asked politely. Hermione gave a little snort. 

"Seriously Neville…" she shook her head and caught several Chocolate Frogs that Harry aimed at her. "Maybe for once in your life, be rude. Like the time you acted during a class last year," she cast a sidelong glance at the Potions Master, who pretended not to hear her. 

"Hermione!" Neville flushed. 

"For God's sake! I was just kidding!" she rolled her eyes in exasperation and she took Ron's hand before sitting down. 

"Why the solemn face?" Harry asked his best friend curiously.   
  
"I wish that Dumbledore didn't appoint me as a Prefect. I'm having enough trouble with school work, I don't think I really need the extra responsibilities over my shoulder," he sighed as he bit off the Chocolate Frog savagely. 

"Well, at least this year you don't have the twins around," Ginny pointed out, wiping her face with her hands. 

"And thank God for that!" Ron agreed with all one's might and finished his Chocolate Frog. 

Fenix offered the bag of cookies to Ron and he took one of it. "And it's hard to believe that the twins had actually baked these. I wonder when on earth they took baking lessons." 

"Maybe your brothers have their own sweethearts to teach them," Sirius said lightly. "Who knows?" 

"The twins?" Ron and Ginny exclaimed. "My god!" 

They were all contemplating about whether the twins were 'attached' when Fenix suddenly put on a bland expression and stared at the door in distaste. _: I believe you guys are about to get your yearly visit, :_ she said into their minds, Harry giving her an inquisitive look. She heard Ron whispered to Neville and assured his friend that he was not going mad by hearing the voice in his head. 

"That was Fenix talking." Ron said, grinning. 

"Yearly visit?" Neville scowled. "Oh…don't tell me she meant--" 

_ : Yes, Neville. The _Greenies_ are coming this way, : _Fenix confirmed. 

"Would someone tell me what in the world of Merlin is going on?" Snape slammed his book shut, making everyone jump in his or her seats. "What yearly visit?" 

"Dear Taliesin…" Fenix muttered, and exchanged a look with Harry who just shrugged. "Just watch, Severus. You'll understand what the kids are talking about in less than thirty seconds." Snape opened his mouth to speak but stopped and leaned back when he heard the compartment door slid open. 

"Isn't it the filthy little Mudblood and her gangly, freckled Ron here?" Draco Malfoy--still the Slytherin Prefect--sneered down at them. Hermione just gave him a lofty look then pretended to look interested at her fingers. 

"And here is the half-blooded wizard. I am surprised that you aren't dead, _doggie_…" Draco Malfoy said in disdain. "That Veil that Dumbledore had stupidly kept in the Ministry should have make you a gonner." 

_ : Steady, bro. :_ Fenix casually held Sirius's hand. 

"Oh…the doggie has also found a girlfriend. Having a real family life now, Potty?" Pansy Parkinson jeered. 

"Ah… is this the guy you girls kept talking about the whole summer?" Fenix asked Hermione. 

"Aha…" 

"Well, I agree with you. He does look rather charming…" she eyed the Slytherin prefect was looking at her warily. 

_ : Charming?! :_ Harry choked. 

"But then as the twins quoted, he's just a git. You're better off with gangly, freckled and humorous Ron." 

"I know, I know…why do you think I'm going out with Ron? I rather go out with mediocre wizards who have made a name on their own than someone who's always looking for 'Mama' or maybe for this one," Hermione jerked her chin towards Malfoy, "it would be 'Papa'." 

"I suggest that if you don't want to get yourself screwed up, 'git'… leave us in peace." Harry suggested lamely. 

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape spoke up slowly, hands crossed over on his book. "Isn't it the duty of a school prefect to minimize students' movements during a train journey?" the Potions Master said mildly. 

Malfoy stood frozen as he finally noticed Snape's familiar greasy, black hair. Malfoy backed away from the compartment door and with her mind, Fenix shut the door at the boy's face. 

"How was the parting gift that we had given you? Did you guys like it?" Harry called out earnestly. "Anyway, thanks for the yearly visit!" 

_ : Don't laugh, : _Fenix warned Harry and the rest of the kids, carefully examining the Potions Master. 

"Fenix, one question?" Sirius tugged at her sleeve, like a child tugging on the mother when it wants something. "The conversation about that boy being charming… had you planned this or was it a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing?" 

"Sirius, do Hermione and I look like the kind of girls who need to plan things when we want to nettle someone?" Fenix asked in mock indignation. 

"Don't be insulting," Hermione nodded her head in agreement and winked at the Fire Master. 

Snape fingered the pages of his book abstractedly. Then he turned to stare at Harry and suddenly frowned. The emerald-eyed teenager blinked his eyes and gulped at the intense look the Potions Master was giving him. Snape suddenly spoke up. "Was that the so-called yearly visit?" he lifted his eyebrow as he said it, still gazing at the boy. Harry nodded uncertainly, and the Potions Master smiled thinly. "And what was the parting gift?" 

"I'm not sure if you ought to know," Fenix interjected. 

"They tried to jinx us…and the results were good," Ron said without humor. 

"How disappointing…" Snape whispered and continued reading his book. "A 'git' for real…" Snape looked back at Harry, his face breaking out into a smile, and the youth felt something change inside him. Everyone was looking at Snape with amazement except for Fenix, who gave the man a warm smile. They had never seen the Potions Master gave a real smile to anyone before. Much less to the boy whom he used to hate. All too soon, his smile faded, and Hermione bit her lip in disappointment when Snape's bland expression returned. Of all the people in the current compartment, only Fenix was aware of the reason why the smile came and then went off. She closed her eyes as she was filled with Snape's sudden despair, suppressing the urge to cry. 

_ : Fenix? :_ Sirius asked as he gave her hand a squeeze. _: What's wrong? :_

_ : It's okay, Sirius. :_ Fenix gave a weak smile and closed her eyes as she felt the coming of rain. "It's going to rain." 

"I don't think so…" Ron disagreed. 

"Watch," Fenix said mischievously as she raised her hand. The instant she dropped her hand, huge raindrops splashed against the train and the Weasley gave her an incredulous look. 

"You didn't really make it rain, did you?" Neville asked the Fire Master. 

"Of course… not! It was just good timing… that's all." Fenix chuckled. 

"But can you make it rain?" Hermione asked Fenix persistently. 

"Yes, I can but I won't. Playing with weather's a touchy business," Fenix said as she stood up to get the feelings back in her legs and sat back down. The momentary subject was able to distract her and Snape's despair gradually lessened. She reached out for Remus and was a little surprised that he was not dozing. _: Hello, lover. Not feeling tired? : _She asked tenderly. 

_ : Strangely… no. I don't feel tired at all. Everything all right back there? :_ Remus responded cheerfully. 

_ : Yeah, all's safe, : _ Fenix answered and shivered when Remus gave her a mental caress. 

Nothing eventful happened during the rest of the day. Harry entertained Fenix by telling her all about Quidditch and in exchanged he had forced her to sing some 'Muggle' songs. She had declined but Ginny egged the Fire Master relentlessly. Fenix was singing midway of Linkin Park's Crawling, when she jerked her head up, staring at the window warily. The sun was beginning to set and the lamps in the carriage lighted up. 

"Aelwyn, I want a full sweep conducted," Fenix instructed as she got up and opened the carriage door in search for the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. Not surprisingly, he and the wolves were watching Malfoy's gang carefully. 

"Fenix?" Remus looked at her questioningly. 

_ : I sense Dementors. :_

Remus uttered a string of curses and headed out of his compartment in search for the others who were guarding the students. Fenix remained in the compartment, tolerating the spiteful glares of Parkinson and Malfoy until returned. Fenix had to thank the man for subtlety; he had not whipped out his wand. 

_ : They're closing on the train. There's quite a few of them, : _Krill said to her and Remus. 

"Bloody hell," Fenix swore and went back to her company. Harry was looking alertly at her. 

"Fenix, what's wrong?" Hermione asked. 

"I don't want you guys to panic. A horde of Dementors are coming," Fenix said quietly, her eyes going distant. 

"Dragon's teeth…" Harry looked out the window. "We have to turn the lamps off. We're like a ready prey for them," the youth said absently. 

"Maybe it's better if I go to the students in there," Snape said, putting his book away and stood up. 

_ : Fenix, we're going to stop the train and shut off the goddamn lights, : _Remus informed her. 

_ : Funny. Harry was saying the same thing just now, :_ she commented. 

Harry was whispering to Hedwig as he placed the cage safely out of the way, with Crookshanks secured beside her. Snape had disappeared into the other compartment and Fenix went to him. She tugged at his sleeve and informed him and the students at the last carriage. 

"Please remain calm. I am sure that you are aware of the current developments of the Dark Lord." 

"What's happening?" a Ravenclaw student by the name of Luna Lovegood spoke up. 

"Dementors." Professor Snape replied shortly. 

"We see," the group of Ravenclaws replied calmly and began tucking away their belongings safely and held out their wands. 

"They seem well prepared," Fenix said archly. "Sev, be careful." Fenix said softly and he gave a nod. 

"Not a lot of first years, thank goodness." Hermione heaved a sigh of relief. "Fenix, this Alamanda Durz. They had distributed the first years among the senior students." Like the Ravenclaws, Hermione and the rest seemed ready for action, their wands all out. 

_ : Sirius? : _Remus's mindvoice called out. 

_ : Yeah? :_

_ : We need your help. We're short of one more guard. :_

_ : Not the Greenies, I hope? :_

_ : No. They're Hufflepuffs. :_ Sirius looked apologetically at his godson. 

"It's all right, I understand. You better go where they want you to guard before the lamps go off," Harry said, as he edged away from the window. 

_ : Sirius, guys. Be careful, : _Fenix sent her thought to every single person in the train. "Ron, find something for me so that the doors to each compartment remain open," Fenix instructed briskly. 

"It's already been taken care off." Ron jerked his chin towards Snape who was bending down and giving the door a tap. Hermione was doing the same thing to the other door. The lights went off first. 

_ : Harry, stay linked with me, : _Fenix commanded. 

_ : Roger. :_

"Miss Maxwell?" someone whispered shakily. 

"Yes, Alamanda?" 

"I'm scared." 

"Don't worry. We're all going to look after each other," Harry said reassuringly. 

"Okay," the young girl of thirteen said bravely. 

_ : Hang on guys. We're going to stop soon, : _Fenix warned them and placed her balance on her feet. 

"I'm getting a strange sense of déjà vu," Ginny said shakily as she remembered their first encounter with the Dementors. 

_ : Are you two all right? :_ Fenix asked the wolves. 

_ : Don't worry about us. :_

_ : Exactly fifty-two Dementors, : _Krill announced and she felt her eyes widened. 

_ "Fifty-two?"_ they heard Snape exclaimed indignantly. 

Fenix shrugged her cloak off and felt it disappear as her Salamander took it. _Brighid watch over the young ones. _Her sword materialized out of the thin air and she held it in defensive stance. 

_ : They're closing in, :_ Krill whispered, and they held their breaths. 

Fenix stood rigidly as she slowly cast a spell that would enable them to see the Dementors. It was something that she had learned from the Sun God and she knew it was time for her to use it. Then she released her spell with an upward thrust of her sword. She waited patiently for her spell to take place. Suddenly there were bright flashes of lightning and they averted their eyes from the brilliant light. 

They looked out the window again when the thunder stopped and all they could see was darkness. Then to their surprise, yellow glowing forms lumbered towards the train in one direction. Fenix instinctively covered Alamanda with her body as the windows of the train suddenly shattered and the pieces flew dangerously in the air. There were screams of pain echoing throughout the train and Fenix managed to yell for them to duck just as the windows at the opposite side of the train began to crack. 

_ : Fenix! They have arrows! : _Krill shrieked out and Harry gasped when an arrow pierced his arm. 

_ : Everyone! : _Remus shouted. _: We can see them now! Use the Patronus at once! :_

There were more screams as another volley of arrows descended on the train. A Dementor tried to jump in through the window but screamed in fear as Fenix thrust her sword and instantly burned with Fire. She heard some of the Dementors shouting for them to retreat. _Why would they want to do that?_

"We've got the human. Voldemort does not want to be kept waiting," one Dementor growled. 

_ : Harry! :_

_ : I'm still here, : _Harry croaked, as wave after wave of pain rocked his body. 

"We're not throwing away the opportunity to feast. You take the Potions Master away. We'll entertain ourselves with their fear." 

Hermione hastily said _'Lumos'_ and looked for the Potions Master. "Fenix! They've taken Professor Snape!" she wailed in distress. Harry was suddenly filled with intense anger and headed out for the nearest exit. He blasted the door open. 

"Harry!" Neville shouted. It seemed that Harry was not the only one scrambling to get out of the train. A lot of senior students were getting out of the train and Fenix felt the horror of the Aurors who were supposed to guard the children's lives. Some of the Aurors remained behind to guard those who were still inside, quaking with fear. 

"Look at them," a Dementor's voice grated out. "Angry, they are. They want to fight back." The Dementors laughed madly. Harry broke off the arrow and fought off the wave of nausea. He focused on the grim faces of the students of Hogwarts, with some Slytherins who were hissing with anger. A sixth-year student from Slytherin named Dina Free shouted at the Dementors. 

"Yes! We are going to fight even if it cost us our lives! We won't tolerate your filthy, evil minds in this earth any longer! _Expecto Patronum!_" A silvery mist emerged from her wand and a silver horned bull came charging at the Dementors. The students were fully roused and the School stood united again. Feeling energized suddenly, Harry placed his grief, love, heart and soul to his Patronus. Hermione who was not that good in calling up her Patronus suddenly managed to call up a silver stallion and Harry's silver stag joined in battering down the Dementors. Fenix gave a wave of her sword and three Dementors were incinerated at once. There was a sudden momentary lull in the field. Dementors faced the humans and the humans stared at the Dementors calmly. Fenix stepped forward and said softly. 

"You will return Severus to us." Her deathly quiet voice sent chills to the students as she stared at the Dementors mercilessly. Harry ignored his aching arm and remembered the Potions Master's swift carefree smile that emerged from the unfeeling wizard just a few hours ago. 

"Professor Snape does not belong to the Dark Lord any longer," Harry said in the silence. "His Dark Mark is absent from his arm. Voldemort won't be able to call him anymore." 

"The humans utter nonsense," the Dementors said in unison. 

_ "No."_ They heard Snape's voice in the distant and there was a blinding flash of golden light._ "I won't be broken by him again. And I will never bow to him ever. He is not my master any longer."_

The Potions Master waved his wand again and the Dementors were flung closer to the students as Snape made his way unconcernedly to the students and joined the Fire Master. The Dementors suddenly loosed arrows on them and Fenix hurriedly shielded the students and gasped in pain when an arrow hit her shoulder. 

_ : I'm okay, :_ Fenix reassured all of them. 

"Tell the Dark Lord this," the same Slytherin girl hissed, "we would not hide anymore in fear." 

"That's if any of them remain alive after this," a student muttered confidently.   
  
"He is warned and forewarned," Dina said defiantly. "The Phoenix has risen," she said abruptly. 

"Foolish words, daughter." Death Eaters had Apparated and joined the Dementors. 

"I am not. I have never been ever since you let mother die. I am not Helwn Garner. I am Dina Free." 

"Everyone knows it was that decrepit wizard who cast the illusion." 

"Illusion?" several students jeered. "Must be a pretty good one then that it could kill …how many was it Jeremy?" Lee Jordan said in a mocking voice. 

"Twenty six at one go." 

"And we're supposed to believe that?" the 'father' of Dina Free said. 

"She is real enough Howard," Snape said and rolled his left sleeve. They stared at the arm incredulously. 

"How did--" Several uneasy murmurs emerged. 

Fenix heard Draco Malfoy's voice stammered in disbelief. "It couldn't be! Snape is a Death Eater!" 

Seamus Finnigan of Gryffindor took the chance to give Malfoy a punch and the Slytherin was immediately knocked out cold.   
  
"I believe it's a 'was', Malfoy," Seamus corrected and stared back at their opponents. 

"Severus Snape has been given a full redemption, I have seen to that personally. Leave if you treasure your life. Better yet; leave Voldemort to keep your souls," Fenix said quietly. 

"Huh…we're not going to be scared by a very small woman or half-grown wizards and witches," the Death Eater scoffed. "Enough playing. _Crucio!_" but the spell impacted harmlessly on Fenix's shield. 

"Leave," Fenix continued to warn them as she began to move towards them. She broke off the arrow from her shoulder and let go of her sword. It disappeared. "Last chance, gentlemen. I will not show mercy." The Death Eaters stood their ground and she sighed heavily. "You have been warned." 

_ "Avada Kedavra!" _Several bolts of green light hit her. She took it and simply reflected it back. The Death Eaters fell dead at once, leaving Fenix with the Dementors. They began to back away from the advancing woman. Horrible and desperate screams pierced the air as the Dementors were incinerated by her touch. 

Silence. The wind blew gently around them. Silence. Death had touched the land. 

"You could have backed out father," Dina bowed her head as she whispered. "You chose to betray mother. You were warned and you ignored it," the girl sighed heavily and stepped over Malfoy's unconscious body. 

"Go back up the train," Fenix instructed all of them. Sirius looked at her and nodded his head to the students around him and they proceeded back up the train. Fenix stood in the field alone and wept for the fallen men silently. She gave each of them silent blessings before their bodies were engulfed in fire. She turned her back to the burning bodies and headed for the illuminated train. 

********** 

Everyone remained silent when Fenix headed back up, and stared speechlessly at the woman's tear-streaked face. She wandered about the train as it began to start moving and healed the injured students, going to those whom had been badly cut by the sharp shattered glass first. Much to her relief, only Harry was the only one of the students whom had been hit by the arrows. She tended to Remus's gash before she went back to her compartment as Ginny looked anxiously at an unconscious Harry. Fenix absently pulled the remains of the broken arrow from her shoulder, and winced a little. 

"We've managed to pull the arrow out and stopped his arm from bleeding," Snape said quietly and released the pressure from Harry's bleeding arm. Fenix replaced the kneeling Potions Master and began Healing the boy. "Good… no splinters…" They watched Harry's wound as it began to close slowly and gradually faded to a red scar. Sirius glanced at her shoulder and saw it was completely healed. Neville and Ron meanwhile helped to clear the compartment from the shattered glass and piled them all to one corner. As Ginny was supporting Harry, Fenix had no choice to sit beside the Potions Master. 

"Krill," Fenix said tiredly. "Full guard." 

"Yes, lady." 

_ : Fenix? : _Sirius and Remus asked simultaneously. 

_ : Don't. I need to be alone for a while, :_ Fenix said tiredly and blocked everyone off from her mind. 

********** 

They finally arrived at the station about eighteen minutes before midnight. Harry was still unconscious and Sirius carried his godson carefully while the rest got their trunks out and their pets. No one had bothered to change into his or her school robes. Hagrid and Professor Grubby-Planks looked horrifically at the state of the train and the students, whom appeared tattered and bloodied. 

"First-years! This way please!" 

Sirius carried Harry to an unoccupied Thestral carriage. Ginny and Neville went with Sirius, as Hermione, Ginny, Fenix and Snape got up onto another. Fenix was strangely silent all the way and did not even look at the looming ancient castle. Ron and Hermione closed their eyes and tried to calm their nerves a bit. Snape caught Fenix's hand and squeezed it comfortingly. 

"We'll be there soon. I don't think the Sorting Ceremony will be conducted today." Snape said softly. Fenix nodded her head tiredly and controlled the tears from falling. 

********** 


	28. The Old and The New

****

~ Chapter 28: The Old and The New ~   


****

Finally in Hogwarts...

Harry had regained his consciousness. The first thing that caught his eyes the moment he woke up was Fenix looking very haggard, and a sympathetic Snape. They were just about to arrive to Hogwarts. 

__

: Remus? : Fenix called out softly. 

__

: I'm here, : Remus's mindvoice intertwined with hers. 

__

: Please, do not hate me for what I did, : Fenix said desperately. Remus did not answer her as their carriages went into a halt and Snape helped Fenix and Hermione down the carriage. Sirius aided his godson down and signaled to Neville to look after Harry as he handled their luggage. Carrying their trunks, they went up the stairs and proceeded to the Great Hall where the Headmaster was waiting gravely for them. It took a while before all students and staff congregated in the Great Hall. Professor Dumbledore spoke up, his voice loud and clear. 

"I am sure you are all very tired, so it would be unwise if we were to conduct the Sorting Ceremony now. Those feeling unwell, please see Madam Pomfrey. First years, in the meantime you will sleep here in the Great Hall. Mr. Black and company, please come with me. You too, Severus." 

"But Professor," Ron spoke up diffidently, "we're supposed to give the password to the common room." 

"Mr. Finnigan," the Headmaster called out and Seamus appeared instantly. "You have to take over Ron's and Hermione's duties in the meantime." 

"What's the password?" Harry's roommate asked and Ron whispered _Diangelos_. "Right." Seamus quickly went off with the other Gryffindors. 

"I don't think I'm supposed to be with you," Neville said skittishly. "Anyway, I'll go to the Common Room. So see you in the morning." The boy picked up his trunk and hurried over to Seamus and Dean Thomas. 

The eight humans plus two wolves followed the Headmaster as he led them upwards, pausing often when the stairs started to groan and change direction. Harry was feeling a little lethargic and he wondered why they were going up to the top floor. Then he stared at a portrait whose figure kept running around away from the trolls. _Wait! We're going to the Room of Requirement!_ The Headmaster paused at the door for a moment before turning the knob. They shuffled in tiredly and came into a very large bedroom. Professor Dumbledore left the room without another word, shutting the door quietly. 

Dobby and other house-elves suddenly appeared. Some were bringing refreshments; some brought wash water, while some helped in storing their trunks away. The wolves gratefully thanked one of the house-elves and gulped the drinking water greedily. The wolves then curled up in one corner and immediately fell asleep. The humans washed and ate in silence, with Fenix not looking at any of them the whole time. 

__

Should I go to sleep? Harry questioned himself but could not help feeling that the night was not over for them yet. _I guess not… let's wait a while more._ The remains of their supper vanished instantly with the table they had used. One by one, the candles went off, leaving one tall candle lit to illuminate the vast bedroom. Fenix stood up suddenly to crawl onto the colossal bed. She sat with her knees tucked in close to her chest with her head bowed. Remus and Sirius silently followed her, and Sirius watched his oathsister tenderly as Remus drew the Fire Master into a comforting embrace. Fenix fought down the grief and sadness but shuddered in defeat as she felt her emotional walls crumbled away. The five other humans crowded on the bed, watching the Fire Master solemnly. 

__

: Fenix, : Remus called silently,_ : what's wrong? :_

__

: You wouldn't understand, : she said sadly. 

__

: Try us! : Sirius suddenly exploded and Ginny closed her eyes in pain as Sirius's mindvoice trumpeted out too loudly for her taste._ : Fenix, say what's on your mind. No more evasions! We're all a goddamn extended family anyway! So why the hell are you keeping secrets? :_

__

: Is Severus a part of our family then? : Fenix's mindvoice echoed softly in their minds and Harry and Ron stared at the Potions Master, who was gazing at the curled Fire Master with superb calmness. 

__

: He is. : Harry answered, much to the surprise of his friends._ : But it is up to him if he wants to be in it… or not to be. :_

__

: No matter what, we're here for you. Why are you feeling so sad? And why should I or 'we' hate you for what you did back there? It was necessary, wasn't it? You gave them a second chance but they ignored it, so why are you feeling sad over it? : Remus pressed his cheek against her hair. 

Fenix hid her face in Remus's chest but took Sirius's hand in silent assurance. Slowly, she spoke not in words, but with images, sensations and feelings to them all, starting with her fears and weakness closer to her heart. The death of her blood kin, Sirius, the people that had came suddenly into her life and loving them, the destruction of the elves, and her greatest fear. The fear of having nothing to love. Ron was blinking his eyes in surprise when she gave them a fraction of her joy when Snape began to unbend ever since he joined in the group. _She loves Snape just as she loves Sirius. Dear God! All of us must be going mental now because Snape _does_ feel like one of us. Poor Percy. This will be a shock to him when he finds out._

__

: I can tolerate loneliness. I have been lonely since the day I came into being. But it was the presence of Life around me that prevented me to will myself out of existence or to return to something I once was, : Fenix murmured, her mindvoice was shaded with a subtle green as she was filled with shame. She began to take them into one of her deeper memories and the intelligence behind those memories seemed to be totally alien. 

__

: I was an alien… I guess… these memories I'm showing you now was from the memories of my original form, : Fenix explained, and showed them the original form of the Phoenix. It was beautiful and purely feminine. _: Does this suit your taste more, Remus? :_ Remus shook his head as he chuckled a little. She was no longer weeping and had answered to Remus's body language by hugging him as he held her. 

The human company carefully tried to assess the mental images and the sensations that went with them. _: So full of pride, aren't you, sister? : _Sirius said softly. Fenix nodded her head a little. 

__

: I was proud and vain. The mortals feared and worshipped me. But it all changed when a war among the Gods began. Not really among the Gods, of course. The humans at that time were so full of conceit and pride just as I was. I don't really remember how I started changing; walking the earth as a human. Mingled and insinuated myself in the general population. The other intelligence faded into something much more complicated and distinct as I evolved into something like the humans. It was a morning when I was finally aware that there must be something important in Life. I went searching for the answer. I knew that there was something missing in me. Then He came. He taught me how to bow to love. : Fenix squirmed and maneuvered so that she faced them and pulled Remus's arms about her waist. 

Her courage at telling her worst fears to the children seemed to open a door that had been kept hidden. Ginny began first, not so much telling Fenix what she felt about the current situation than showing her thoughts and fears to the others. This went on for most of the night, with then rest of the six humans taking turns to show and in the process acknowledged their fears. Ginny's, Hermione's, and Ron's fears were simple compared to Harry's. He showed them his fear closely similar to what Fenix felt and showed them. 

__

: That is my fear. : Harry bowed his head down, fighting with the tension inside him. His injury still affected him, and he leaned against his best friend for support. 

__

: That's just it, isn't it? They_ all seem prepared to lay down their lives for us but forbid us to do the same. That's just a little silly, right? : _Fenix said lightly, and Harry had to smile at her shrewdness. Snape was the last to reveal his true self. Fenix looked at him mysteriously; she was not putting a pleading or an icy expression. It seemed like she was just waiting for something to drop. _: Why didn't they leave, Severus? While they were offered a chance? When they have their own families to look after? :_ Fenix asked softly. 

They could clearly see that the Potions Master was fighting with himself and Harry remembered the fleeting images that he had discovered when he was finally able to resist Snape's Legilimency with a Shield Charm. _Will he reveal himself to us? Or will his pride win over his humanity?_ Harry breathed deeply. They were all still waiting for Snape to answer the Fire Master's questions. At last, he answered. His mindvoice sounded a little scratchy, and it sort of tickled their minds a little. 

__

: Because of pride, I believe. Maybe, because of several things. One; they might consider you, a female, inferior, or two; they're a whole bunch of gits, : Snape answered easily, his expression remained bland as he said that and showed them his past, as a child. He was clearly a victim of child abuse, mainly by his father. He had a normal childhood until his mother contracted a disease that attacked the nervous system and died just as suddenly. His father had expected a lot from him and it grew as Snape received his letter from Hogwarts. Now, Harry and the rest got a chance to find out things from the Potions Master's point of view. Sirius and Remus blushed with shame as Snape showed them a memory of a younger Potions Master being scoffed mainly by Harry's father and godfather. 

"You really out to be ashamed of yourself, Sirius," Hermione said reprovingly. 

"I know. I know," Sirius said, his face flaming hotly. Something occurred to Harry's godfather. 

__

: What kind of animal speech did you master? : Sirius asked Snape, as he suddenly realized that the latter had used mindspeech, and not the normal way of speaking. 

__

: A bat, : Snape replied brusquely. 

__

: My goodness. That's quite a complicated Tongue to master, : Fenix complimented him and Snape indulged her with a mocking bow. Snape continued retelling parts of his life and the reason why he had turned his back on Voldemort. 

__

: Very risky business, Severus, : Remus said as he tried to gain his wits back, severely shocked that Snape was not as cold-hearted as he appeared to be. 

__

: Was that why you were friendly with Mr. Malfoy? To gain information for Professor Dumbledore while you seemingly gave him information about us? : Harry hazarded. Snape nodded in satisfaction, though his eyes gleamed with hatred for a moment when Harry uttered Malfoy. 

"I wonder why Dumbledore asked for a huge bed and not bunk beds," Ron muttered inconsequentially. 

"Probably because he knows that we needed to be close," Ginny said casually, giving sidelong glances at Remus and her own brother. 

"What's the time?" Fenix's voice croaked a little. Harry fumbled for his pocket watch in his pants. 

"Three minutes to four." 

"Better get some sleep then," Fenix said as she handed pillows to each of them and pushed Remus down on the bed and curled beside him. 

"All of us on the bed?" Snape exclaimed. 

"Welcome to the weird family of assorted magicians, Professor," Ron spoke up with amusement as he lay down at the edge of the bed and Hermione went to him instantly. Ginny and Harry looked at each other in embarrassment and Ginny muttered something under her breath and lied down beside Hermione. Harry, seeing no other choice, curled up beside Ginny. Sirius was already lying down next to Fenix leaving the Potions Master to pick his sleeping site. 

__

Which one? Do I sleep beside Harry, the offspring of my childhood tormentor or do I sleep next to the_ childhood tormentor? Or do I go for the floor? _Snape snarled to himself and took the pillow Sirius offered and placed it next to The Boy who Lived. Fenix sat up and placed the bolster to prevent Remus and Sirius's feet from accidentally kicking the Potions Master while they slept. It was fifteen minutes later but they were all still awake, staring at the beams in the ceiling. 

"Someone blow off that blasted candle," Sirius moaned. Fenix chuckled and Krill volunteered. The room instantly plunged into darkness and they could faintly hear the roaring of thunder. Fenix took the opportunity of the darkness to give her lover one, long and passionate kiss.   
  
_ : I wish that we were alone right now, : _ Remus's mindvoice held a sensation of regret as he said that. 

__

: Might I remind you that you two are not alone? : Sirius said acidly. 

__

: Spoilsport, : Remus replied. 

"Night guys," Fenix said softly and was answered just as softly. 

__

: Welcome to a real family, Professor, : Harry said privately to the Potions Master. Snape remained silent. It was not long before they fell into a dreamless sleep. 

**********

__

"I bloody well don't believe this! My own kind, had fallen prey to love's sweetness!" 

__

"I told you that this will happen when it's time, Salz," a sorceress in a splendid blue evening gown said patiently. 

__

"Shut up, Wen," the man in green velvet growled. 

__

"You should have listened to her," a man in armor nodded his head in agreement. 

__

"Isn't it wonderful? Healing at last!" A motherly looking woman stared piercingly at the man in green. _"Aren't you happy, Salz?"_

__

"You're jumping to conclusions again, Helga. Of course I'm happy!" Salz said lazily. _"Got knocked off in my own game. And keep your hands off the woman, Ric! Dear gods! After all this centuries, you still treat her the same!"_

__

"Flirting again? You ought to be careful just in case she thinks you're an incubus. She's already killed Dementors… I don't want to know if she can kill ghosts," the sorceress in blue cautioned the knight. 

__

"Why do you say I'm flirting, Wen?" the knight sounded injured._ "You know my eyes only see you,"_ he continued sweetly. 

__

"My foot." Helga snorted and she made a face at the knight._ "Let's leave them now. We'll drop in time and time again to give pointers if they need it. I think they're doing fine right now. Godric!" _the ghost yelled at the ghostly knight, stopping him just in time from kissing the Fire Master. _"She's already got a partner! Salz, take care of him,"_ she instructed firmly. 

__

"With pleasure, Helga darling," Salz drawled and changed into his armor. _"Shall we have another go, Ric?"_

__

"It'll pass the time. On guard!" 

The ghosts vanished from the Room of Requirement. Fenix blinked her eyes and thought in confusion. _Funny… I thought I heard someone saying 'On guard'…_ Her thought trailed off and she snuggled closer to Remus and drifted off to sleep. 

**********


	29. The Sorting Ceremony

**~ Chapter 29: The Sorting Ceremony ~**

**Saturday, 2nd September. Hogwarts…**

Fenix woke up suddenly, feeling a change in the air. She blinked her eyes lazily and watched Remus's calm face and felt his arms about her. She created a dim mage light far back at the end of the bedroom and sat up quietly. She looked at the sleeping Potions Master and smiled tenderly. 

_ : Krill? :_

_ : It's ten-thirty in the morning. You might want to wake them up. The Sorting Ceremony-- I think that's what it's called-- is going to start at noon, : _her Salamander suggested diffidently. 

_ : Wait… Are you guys happy now? : _ Fenix asked them happily. 

_ : What? Oh… you mean about this one? : _Krill gave her an image of Remus._ : Not really, : _ Krill answered seriously. 

_ : Why? :_ the Fire Master asked in displeasure. 

_ : Because we wanted you to get married and maybe get pregnant and we'd get to baby-sit some babies. : _Krill quickly vanished before Fenix could react. 

_ : We just met! :_ She yelled in protest. 

_ : What was that about getting pregnant? :_ Sirius asked sleepily. 

_ : Nothing, brother-mine, :_ Fenix blushed as she said it. _: Better wake up. The Ceremony's going to start at twelve. We have about less than one-and-a-half hours to get ready, : _Fenix informed her oathbrother. Then she turned to Remus and she knew the exact method to wake her lover. She crawled on her knees and gave the werewolf a kiss and as she had expected, he woke up rather instantly. She grinned widely at the man who looked up at her with such tenderness; she felt tingles all over. _Bloody hell… just like a teenage girl fawning over a crush… I am disgusted at myself. But hell, doesn't that feel good!_

Remus smiled at her as he sat up and his movement woke both the Potions Master and Sirius's godson. Harry blinked his eyes at the unfamiliar warmth and felt the heat rising to his face when he met the Potions Master somnolent eyes. Snape sat up slowly and pushed his hair back from his face. 

_ : From the feeling that I'm having… I am sure it is not seven in the morning, :_ Snape said, removing the bolster to make more room to maneuver around. _: And thank you for not kicking me in your sleep, even unintentionally, :_ he was looking at Sirius as he spoke. _: So… what is the time? :_ He looked at Fenix for an answer. 

_ : Ten-fifty, : _Fenix said and brightened the room up by asking her Salamanders to light up the candles. 

_ : Merlin's Beard! I haven't overslept_ that _late since I was thirteen! :_ Snape swore and looked at the place where their trunks had been. 

_ : I believe the house-elves have taken it and placed it where they're supposed to be, : _Wind said helpfully. 

"I am so thankful you had braided my hair, Fenix," Hermione said in relief and she was shaking Ron up. Dobby appeared, with Winky approaching the Fire Master. 

"Winky's here to show the Fire Master's and Mr. Black's quarters. It is not far from Professor Lupin's quarters," Winky said with a smile. 

"Does my room comes with a bathroom… your name's Winky, right?" Fenix asked uncertainly. 

Winky smiled brightly. "Yes, all teachers' quarters does." The house-elf held the door open and Snape hurried out first. 

"So my room is at the usual place?" Remus asked the female house-elf and sighed with relief when she nodded. Winky led them via the staircases again and the adults and the wolves parted from the students. 

_ : We'll meet you at the Great Hall, :_ Sirius said jovially. 

_ : Yeah, see you! : _Harry said as cheerfully, as he unconsciously fingered his scar on his arm. 

_ : Harry, don't scratch, : _Fenix rebuked him gently._ : Otherwise, you'll get inflammation. :_

_ : Sorry, : _Harry said sheepishly, and disappeared as the students headed to the left while the adults kept walking straight. Snape paused over a door that had a written plaque 'Professor Snape'. 

_ : I'll see you later, : _Snape said, and Winky continued to lead Fenix and Sirius to their office and bedroom. Another house-elf appeared and took charge of Sirius and paused at three doors down. Remus stole a kiss as he went in to his own room. 

"This is your quarters, Fire Master." Winky said with a smile. "It's locked for the moment, though." 

"Ordinary lock or something requiring a password?" Fenix asked curiously. 

"Ordinary lock, Fire Master," Winky said. Fenix nodded solemnly and looked at the door, surveying it carefully. She gave a small smile and placed her palm onto the door, and it unlocked instantly. 

"You're good, Fire Master." 

"Winky, call me Fenix," she smiled kindly at the house-elf. Winky smiled shyly at the Fire Master before vanishing from sight. Fenix and the wolves entered the room and she closed and locked the door before walking around, going over to the window first. It was raining quite heavily and she stared at the window dreamily. It overlooked a vast forest and remembered distantly that it was called the Forbidden Forest. Her quarter was a suite of sorts, first entering an office. She pursed her lips at the table and remarked to her wolves with an amused look that it probably would not fit her books if she were to do some heavy-duty research. 

"Let's go and inspect the bedroom." 

"Talking to yourself indicates an imbalance mind," a voice spoke out of nowhere and she knew it was not any of her Elementals. 

"What do you know!" Fenix almost laughed as she caught sight of a mirror on the wall. "A talking mirror!" she stared at the mirror in perplexity. "Anyway, I know I'm sane enough and I was talking to the wolves." Fenix did not wait to hear the mirror's reply as she opened the bedroom door, and stared about in pleasure. Her stuff was already unpacked, and a towel was laid out on the bed for her immediate use. 

_ : Should I make an impression on beauty or stark coldness? : _Fenix mused. 

_ : Wear something warm, : _Wind suggested, answering the Fire Master's question indirectly. 

_ : The sorceress robe that Sirius had bought for you will do nicely. I doubt you have to run about in the first day, : _Silver connoted. Fenix nodded her head and the Salamanders automatically opened the wardrobe in search for the Prussian blue gown while she picked the towel and headed straight to the bathroom. 

********** 

Fenix had already donned her gown and was waiting patiently as her Elementals helped to dry and style her hair, warning them earlier not to do anything extravagant. "Just style it so my hair keeps out of my face." 

As she waited, her Ice Dagger suddenly flew off its racket and hovered in front of her. Fenix trailed her fingers on the broom handle and sighed with regret. _I know lovely. I miss flying you, but the weather isn't helping,_ she thought gently at the broom. It almost seemed to sigh in disappointment and went back to its rack. 

_ : That Ice Dagger is extremely uncanny, if you don't mind me saying so, :_ Silver observed. 

_ : He is like my sword. :_

_ : It's almost as if its maker knew he was making this broom for you, :_ Wind commented. 

_ : Actually, I think he _did_ know. : _Then she suddenly sighed when Aelwyn held a mirror for the Fire Master. They had successfully made her look like an Ancient Priestess. "What the hell…" Fenix threw her hands up helplessly, and looked at her pocket watch. It showed twenty minutes to noon. _: Better get down then, : _she announced gaily and swept from the bedroom and opened the door just as Sirius was about to knock. Her oathbrother grinned widely and gave an appreciative whistle. 

_ : You'll put my cousin Narcissa to shame, sister. You're exuding and looking very much like a powerful witch, : _Sirius whispered roguishly in her mind. 

_ : You simply take my breath away, lover. :_ Remus watched her carefully. _: I am glad that I don't have to worry about _fawning _guys here. :_

_ : You're cruel. : _Fenix pouted but grinned suddenly. The wolves had trotted ahead and joined Professor Snape, who was waiting for them. He eyed Fenix with mild surprise and gave a brief remark. 

_ : You've come prepared, I see, :_ Snape said his mindvoice thick with approval, then turned on his heel and led them all down the stairs towards the Hall. 

_ : Harry? : _Sirius sent his thought out to his godson as they waited patiently for the staircase to finish changing before continuing their journey. 

_ : Sirius! We're all ready at the Great Hall, and everyone is just waiting for the other teachers to turn up, : _Harry said, his mindvoice coloring yellow with amusement. 

_ : What's up? : _Fenix asked merrily. 

_ : Nothing… it's just that yesterday, Seamus-- he's another friend of ours-- gave Malfoy a punch. He looks rather 'charming' with the black eye and Madam Pomfrey had refused to do anything about it, :_ Harry told them. 

_ : That is quite unlike her to ignore students' injuries. : _Snape joined in the conversation. Harry gave a start, but recovered himself in time. 

_ : I don't know if what the other students say is true, but Madam Pomfrey had just given him poultice and warned him not to bother her with more excuses of pain, :_ Harry reported. 

_ : Maybe she's just planning her reserves. Like I told you before-- maybe a bit differently, but the principle is similar. There's not much point in Healing something so trivial, when a very good poultice and a little bit more time is all you need to heal, : _Fenix told them after a moment of thought. Unlike last night, Fenix was paying more attention to her surroundings than necessary.__

_ : Somehow you remind me of Moody, : _Remus remarked.   
  
_ : Just keeping myself in practice, :_ Fenix replied lightheartedly and they finally came to the entrance of the Great Hall. Professor Snape pulled the door open and Remus went in first, followed by Fenix and her wolves, Sirius and the Potions Master. 

Where the students had been murmuring just a while ago, it was now completely silent. The students watch the Fire Master in awe and some of them actually shuddered at her ethereal look. Some nudged their neighbors at the pair of wolves, finally seeing them as they truly were. Harry caught Fenix's eye and winked and she smiled slightly. 

"And here, I would present you your new teachers. Professor Lupin," the Headmaster beckoned and Remus approached the table then turned to face the students, as the Headmaster continued his introduction. "He has been reinstated as the teacher of Defence. Professor Snape as you all know, he is the Potions Master of Hogwarts." Snape and Remus together went up to the teachers' table and took their seats. "Next, is Mr. Sirius Black, who will be teaching the junior students in Transfiguration." 

Sirius had put on his most grave expression and Ron had to pretend he was coughing, rather than to burst out with laughter. 

_ : You're supposed to sit beside me, :_ Remus hinted silently, and Sirius made his way up to the teachers' gracefully. Now the students, and some of the other staff, waited anxiously for the formal introduction of the Fire Master. 

"And this is Miss Fenix Maxwell, assistant to Professor Lupin. She had joined the staff due to my request and having her with the rest of the Aurors in the train was a good thing indeed. Like Mr. Black, Miss Maxwell has several other duties, which includes the safety of all students. So though by right, she is a Muggle--" the Headmaster was disrupted as a number of protests tore at the air, mostly coming from the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat to regain their attention. "She has talents that will prove useful to us in the foreseeable future." 

_ : And where am I supposed to sit? :_ Fenix asked them patiently, as she inclined her head to the students seated at their tables. 

_ : Next to me, : _Snape informed her. Fenix gracefully walked over to the Potions Master, pausing for a moment to stare at Malfoy's progeny before taking her seat. Several of the teachers were looking curiously at her, then turned their attention to Professor McGonagall and the first-years gathered around. 

_ : Only twelve? : _Fenix asked as she counted the heads belonging to nervous kids. 

_ : Troubled times… :_ Remus answered. 

The senior students waited in anticipation for the Sorting Hat to sing. 

"I wonder if it would be more warnings this time," Ron whispered to Harry, who just shrugged and stared at the old hat. 

The silence grew unbearable and no one dared to breathe. When the Headmaster's pocket watch screeched, the hat trembled and straightened up. Then it sang softly: 

_ For the start of the new term,_   
_ We have gathered,_   
_ But only after the School was united._   
_ Hogwarts was divided,_   
_ No longer true,_   
_ Students had joined together_   
_ To fight a common foe._

_ The School is blessed_   
_ With the return of the ancients,_   
_ And our Founders who were thought parted_   
_ Visited the castle in the aurora._   
_ Still together, friends forever:_   
_ The Bold Knight, Godric Gryffindor,_   
_ The Shrewd Sorceress, Rowena Ravenclaw,_   
_ The Cunning Wizard, Salazar Slytherin,_   
_ The Lovely Witch, Helga Hufflepuff._

The Sorting Hat broke off and trembled slightly. Professor McGonagall moved towards it in concern but stopped as it straightened itself again and went on singing: 

_Filled with gladness I am._   
_ Hogwarts was weak,_   
_ Filled with Strife and Dissension._   
_ Now I see hope in the Houses._   
_ Maybe the Unity will last,_   
_ Maybe it will fade again._   
_ But under the watchful eye of the Guardian_   
_ She will not let it pass._   
_ Hence, gladly will I choose for the Founders,_   
_ And let the teaching begin!_

There was no need for applause; somehow, the unity had begun taking shape in something that would be impossible under normal circumstances. The ceiling that was decorated only with candles and a dark, solemn and brooding sky suddenly began to vanish. The Headmaster looked at it in mild amazement and stared solemnly at the students. The Great Hall slowly illuminated in a gentle glow of sunlight, with the smell of fresh pines wafting about the room. 

McGonagall unrolled her scroll with slightly trembling hands and cleared her throat. She looked about the Hall, as if in disbelief that no one made a sound. 

"First-years," she addressed the youngsters who were all displaying various degrees of tension and gave a small smile. "When I call your names, you will pick the hat, take a seat and wear the hat and you will get sorted. Once the hat sort you, go to the tables where your House is. We will begin now." She peered at the scroll and called out, "Jew, Sylvan!" 

As the named girl moved forward, then gave a sharp stare to Fenix's right and suddenly gave a sweet smile at the Sylph hovering at the Fire Master's shoulder. 

_ "Hufflepuff!"_ as the hat announced, the Hufflepuffs roared and cheered. Distant cheers of _'Welcome to da house!'_ were heard amongst the thunderous clapping. 

"Summers, William!" 

_ "Ravenclaw!"_

"Gregory, Michael!" 

_ "Hufflepuff!"_

"Howard, Jeff!" 

_ "Slytherin!"_

"Durz, Alamanda!" 

_ "Slytherin!"_

"Arawn, Miranda!" 

_ "Gryffindor!"_

"Withers, Dianne!"   
  
_ "Slytherin!"_

"McIntyre, Aiden!" 

_ "Gryffindor!"_

"Knight, Gwydion!" 

_ "Gryffindor!"_

"Wintershade, Aver!" 

_ "Slytherin!_

"Moonbeam, Aine!" 

_ "Ravenclaw!"_

Some of the students that had already been sorted did not go to their respective Houses, but McGonagall ignored as she was left with the last first year, a very solemn looking boy. 

"Howell, Jude!" 

_ "Slytherin!"_

The applause in the hall died as Jeff Howard, Miranda Arawn, Sylvan Jew and Jude Howell stared at each other, ignoring the curious looks from all around them. 

"So, are we still friends, or what?" Miranda spoke up in a clear soprano. 

"I dunno…" Jeff mumbled, looking down at his feet. 

"I don't see why not," Jude said, looking soberly at his three friends he had made as he tried to find the magical platform during the First of September. 

"Yeah… there shouldn't be any problems for the two of us," Sylvan agreed but gave the boys a penetrating look. "Juz' make sure ya' don't hang out with the wrong guys." 

"Or ya' shall suffer our displeasure," Miranda continued gravely then grinned widely at her friends as she made her way to the Gryffindor table. 

Professor Dumbledore smiled faintly and waited until the four juniors took their seats before he stood up to speak. 

"I would not make a long speech. I am sure you are all aware of the incidents that have plagued Hogwarts since about six years ago and the incidents have been much more serious lately. Some of you might have noticed that some of your old friends are missing due to their parents' pleas not to have their children attend Hogwarts this year. Please refer to the letters that had been sent to you during the holidays for more details. The new term will begin on Monday: assemble at the Great Hall at eight sharp and you will receive your timetables. Trips to Hogsmeade will only be allowed under strict curfew. All students are forbidden to go into the Forest, no matter what. Well… I think I've said enough." He gave a clap and food miraculously appeared on the tables. 

Fenix was seated near the end of the teachers' table, next to Snape's right. She was about to reach for her glass of pumpkin juice when suddenly a man in armor appeared from under the table. His eyes under his visor were handsome and kind and she wondered how she could point out the characteristics although the form was nearly insubstantial. The Fire Master suppressed a smile. 

_ "Lady, you grace my castle with your very beauty,"_ the knight said in a chivalrous voice. Everyone stared in disbelief at the ghost. 

_ "Godric!" _Another ghost in armor appeared from thin air and pulled the knight from the table. _"Why on hell did you run off?"_ The ghost pulled off his helm smoothed his dark long hair, before bowing gracefully to Fenix. She smiled in gentle amusement, stood up and gave a curtsy to the knights. _Still his ever charming self_, she thought fondly. 

_ "Salz!" _A ghost in a blue gown appeared and marched off towards the knights, then disappeared again. 

_ "Really boys,"_ another ghost was calmly seating at the Hufflepuff table and shook her head in disappointment. _"The children are hungry. Such a fine sense of timing you have."_

_ "All right, all right." _The knight whom had pulled his helm off looked at the spot where the lady-ghost had been sitting. _"Mother-hen…"_ he muttered and Sirius stifled a chuckle when Fenix looked at the knight archly. _"Ric!" _the ghost called Salz roared out. Fenix sensed the smile behind the visor from the first knight. 

_ "On guard!"_ The knights vanished with the metallic clangs of sword. 

The students gaped at their ghostly Founders. Ron mouthed a_ 'Holy Smokes!'_ to Harry, who was widely grinning with amusement. 

"That was an unexpected visit." The Headmaster said quietly, but his voice was rimmed with good humor. _"Tuck in everyone!"_

********** 


	30. A Brief Tour

**~ Chapter 30: A Brief Tour ~**   


**Later in the rainy afternoon…**

Fenix had been introduced to the other staff of Hogwarts, and she liked Professor Flitwick and Hagrid, almost immediately. Now she wandered about the school with the wolves, scrutinizing every inch of the castle walls and took careful notice of the portraits hung on the wall. 

_ : Fenix? :_ Sirius asked in concerned._ : Are you sure you won't get lost? :_

_ : Don't be insulting, Sirius. : _Silver answered acidly, curiously imitating the way Fenix express that particular phrase. Fenix chuckled softly to herself. _The corridors are still the same, but the portraits had multiplied and rearranged,_ she thought fondly, trailing her hand over the brick walls of the castle. Potential trouble was about to descend on the Fire Master as she headed up the stairs to find the library. 

_ : They're just kids, Silver. How can they get to grow so rotten? : _Fenix sighed as Malfoy and his usual group came towards her. 

_ : I have no idea. What do you intend to do to them? They're probably up to something, : _the great silver wolf replied. 

Fenix did not reply as she walked slowly towards the advancing group. Bright flashes of lightning illuminated the dark hallway and it made her sigh with regret that she could not be out there to feel the storm. 

_ "Tarantallegra!"_ Malfoy and Parkinson whipped out their wands and shouted in unison. To their alarm, their wands were not working. Fenix's face remained impassive as she strolled past them. 

"Save your energy, Mr. Malfoy. You'll be able to fling spells at me formally in lessons. Be patient," she said softly and smiled as she came to a door that said, 'Library.' Fenix backed out just in time as a witch flung the door open, brandishing a thick book at the maniacally laughing Peeves, who went straight into the opposite wall to escape. The witch fumed angrily then regained her composure and said politely to Fenix, who was looking at the wall where the poltergeist had gone through. 

"You must be Professor Lupin's assistant. Has he given you a list of the books you might want to read?" 

"Indeed, he has." Fenix smiled at the librarian, and pulled out a list. 

"That's good!" Madam Pince exclaimed, taking the list then looked worriedly at the wolves. Fenix interpreted the librarian's gaze accurately and assured the witch that they would be able to behave themselves as long as they were in the library. 

"Thank you!" the librarian thanked the Fire Master fervently and led Fenix among the gigantic bookshelves. The librarian looked down at the list, and was muttering the names of the subjects and headed straight for the Restricted Section. "Do follow me!" the librarian smiled and continued. "This section is off-limits to the students unless they have a note to say otherwise. The teachers however, may take what they wish to read." 

Fenix looked at the rows and rows of books in hunger and restrained herself from wandering about on her own. The librarian disappeared between the shelves and came up with two books. She handed them absently to Fenix and headed off to hunt for more books that were on the list. 

"I wonder if Professor Lupin is being cruel to you," the librarian said in amusement as she handed the last book to a mildly struggling Fenix. "We'll have to go to the counter so I could record what books you're borrowing." 

Fenix was silently praying as she headed out of the Restriction Section that the books would not fall off or her tripping on her robe. 

_ : Fenix! :_

The Fire Master heard a familiar voice in her mind and sighed in relief. 

_ : Thank you, dear Taliesin! Could someone please take some of the books off? I can't really see where I'm going. :_

_ : Poor Fenix. :_ Harry chuckled and Ron loomed over the small woman and kindly took off three large books. 

_ : You came just in time to rescue my arms from falling off! :_

"Are you sure you could read these books in such a short time?" Ron asked, his uncertainty showed in his eyes. Hermione answered for Fenix. 

"Ron, you have seen me read some of the thickest books here. Fenix already had a head start in perfecting her skills at reading," Hermione informed her boyfriend in an airy tone. 

The librarian took copious notes and nodded to Fenix when she had recorded down the details of the last book. Fenix looked down at a volume she was carrying,_ Spells and Curses_. They were automatically heading back towards Fenix's office and the Fire Master wondered if there was a supply of paper and quills for her to use. 

"I think I might have to take down notes while I'm reading these books," Fenix mumbled absently and peered curiously at the inscription at the door that had not been there before the Ceremony. It wrote 'Fenix Maxwell, Fire Master'. 

"FM, FM." Ron said, grinning a little. Harry got the meaning of the subtle joke immediately. 

"I think I'm seeing a _double entendre_ at work here," Harry teased. "Were any of your parents Seers when they named you?" 

Fenix was a bit surprised and stared at the plaque for a bit before unlocking the door, going straight to the desk. Then she turned back and frowned slightly at the door. "I don't know, but maybe my mom was…" Fenix answered and shrugged it off. After they had placed the books on her desk, she asked, "Can you guys give me a tour? A fine thing it would be if I'm unable to find the classroom come Monday." As she was saying this, Winky appeared holding a large tray of meat for the wolves and another house-elf, carrying a big bowl of water. 

_ : So do you want to come with us or do you want to eat? : _Fenix asked the wolves who were eyeing the snack with hunger. 

_ : We're staying but we'll watch through your eyes, :_ Silver said and she nodded. She paused to look out the window and sighed. 

"What's wrong?" Harry asked as they trooped out of her office. 

"Wish it wasn't raining. I'm itching to fly on the broom. After being stuck in Sirius's house for more than one week, I feel a little stressed," Fenix informed then and Harry echoed her sigh. She looked around and asked quizzically. "Where's Ginny?" 

"Trading gossips with some of the Ravenclaws and her fellow Gryffindors, and probably giving out information about you. Say, our class won't start until Monday," Ron spoke up, sounding very cheerful. "If it's sunny tomorrow, let's stretch our legs!" 

"Hermione, did you read any rules saying we can't go out to the Field or something?" Harry frowned trying to recall the dozens of rules that had been listed. To their relief, she shook her head, saying that it just mentioned that no one was allowed out in the grounds after six, without supervision. 

"Seriously… I was sort of expecting Dumbledore to cancel the Quidditch games this year and the next," Ron said gravely. Fenix was paying half-attention to what the youngsters were saying, as she noted corridors, status, portraits and doors. 

"Well, he made it up by specifically saying that no practices will be conducted without a staff member keeping an eye on the students," Hermione pointed out and they finally came down to a stop. "Fenix?" 

"Hang on a sec-- I'm trying to memorize." Fenix said softly and her eyes refocused back to the present. 

"That was scary," Ron said, shuddering a little at Fenix's strange, unruffled expression. "So where else do you want to go?" 

Fenix went silent and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Anywhere you can think of," she shrugged indifferently and waited for them to lead her. So they brought her down to the dungeons, showed Professor Snape's classroom, and then went in further to show her where the Slytherins were housed. 

_ : Creepy sort of place. : _Fenix looked about her with interest, as she gathered her robe when they came to a very damp area. 

_ : Suiting to creepy sorts of people. : _Harry said jokingly, unaware that she was smiling ironically when he said that. Then they turned back as Ron wanted to show her the Transfiguration classroom. 

"Miss Maxwell!" Alamanda Durz sidestepped the puddle of water and breathlessly greeted a hasty afternoon to the seniors. 

"Hello, Alamanda. How's life?" Fenix said cheerfully. 

"Great! I just wanted to say thank you and to Mr. Potter for yesterday," the Slytherin girl gave a tremulous smile to all. Harry could not help but noticed that the young girl was a little bewildered but his curiosity was answered a moment later. 

"I don't have any idea how I went to Slytherin," the girl whispered, still looking rather wide-eyed. "I was sort of praying that I would go into Hufflepuff." 

"Well, the best you could do now is adapt and learn new things," Fenix said as she smiled at Alamanda, making way for a group of passing Slytherins. "Hopefully good and useful things." 

"I hope so too and hope I won't turn up like some of them did. Dina and her gang are kind of cool but those Slytherin prefects Parkinson and Malfoy are absolutely revolting. I mean really…" the girl's face screwed up in distaste. "I never imagined myself to be in a group mostly made up by a bunch of snobs." 

Hermione laughed softly and winked at Alamanda. "Make friends with your own first years in all the Houses. Wish that some of the seniors--," she was looking rather sharply at Harry and Ron, who looked back at her in feigned ignorance, "--could follow your examples." 

"Well, I'm going to the library and hang out with Aine Moonbeam, she's in Ravenclaw," Alamanda said brightly as they went up to the ground floor again. 

"Do you need help to find your way there?" Hermione offered, but the young Slytherin girl shook her head. 

"Thanks but you don't have to, I pestered Miss Parkinson to tell me the directions of the library so that she can be alone with Malf--" Alamanda suddenly clapped her hands to her mouth, suddenly realizing that she was talking to a teacher after all. 

"Just chill out lass," Fenix quickly reassured the girl. "School hasn't really started so I'll forget that you mentioned that." 

"Draco and Pansy?" Hermione was trembling with laughter. 

"Hermione, don't be rude," Ron whispered. "Why are you laughing at that pair? Both of us together don't exactly look ideal together either." 

"Nonsense," Hermione disagreed. 

"Bye then! I'm sure we'd bump into each other sooner or later!" Alamanda yelled as a great bolt of lightning hit the castle and a peculiarly loud thunder reverberated throughout the ancient building. The girl gave a wave then bounded up the steps like an excited squirrel. 

"Actually, we could have gone with her," Harry gave a bright smile at Fenix, "the Transfiguration classroom is up on the second floor anyway." 

"Hello, Harry!" Sir Nicholas, the Gryffindor ghost glided towards them. "Hello, Ron, Hermione and Miss…?" Nick asked inquiringly. 

"Maxwell. Fenix Maxwell." 

"Good afternoon, Miss Maxwell, and welcome to Hogwarts! I am so glad for you--" Nick gushed at Harry, "--that Sirius is alive and well. Giving Miss Maxwell here a tour?" Nick positively beamed when Hermione nodded her head. "Well, I've got to go! There's a ghost meeting at the dungeon and I do not want to be late. I'll see you around!" Nick disappeared and they continued their tour. 

_ : Hello, lover. Where are you? : _Remus's mindvoice spoke up. 

_ : We're on our way to the Transfiguration Class, :_ Fenix answered tenderly. 

_ : Whatever for? :_

_ : The kids are showing the place around, :_ she explained and met him in the corridor as they went up. 

_ : Have you gotten the books? :_ Remus asked her as he winked at the students in greeting and smiled when she nodded. 

_ : Why were you looking for me? : _Fenix asked in puzzlement as they headed towards the Transfiguration class and she went into her 'distant' mode again to memorize what she saw. 

_ : I'm about to give you your teaching schedule, schedules for patrolling the Grounds, School and Forbidden Forest, and supervising the students during Quidditch practice. And Severus wants to have a bit of a talk with you privately. : _Remus gave her a mysterious smile when she looked suspiciously at him. They passed a group of Gryffindors who were looking at the Fire Master with undisguised mischief. One of them actually gave a hinting glance at the Defence teacher before gazing back at her. 

_ : I wonder what Ginny's been telling her friends… : _Harry contemplated as he gave a humorous smile at Fenix. 

_ : Nothing bad I hope… : _Fenix mumbled. 

_ : I think Ginny's been telling some people that you and Remus are-- :_ Harry crossed his fingers together and Fenix blushed in embarrassment,_ : --an item. I don't think your open relationship with Lupin will cause any problems. :_

_ : Well, maybe to you it doesn't seem like a problem. But the problem lies with the staff and your own parents. I mean… we're colleagues and not supposed to… well, you know what I mean, : _Fenix almost babbled to Harry, then she looked at Remus speculatively. _: What does Severus want with me? :_

Her lover shrugged then turned back as they reached the Transfiguration classroom, going up the stairs to head back to her office. Fenix felt her heart jumping in her chest when Peeves suddenly appeared from behind a portrait, making its owner loosing a volley of expletives. Peeves made a face at the portrait before he flew off, laughing madly. Remus shook his head at the poltergeist and resumed their walk, and the colorful curses faded, drowned out by the thunder. They came to Snape's office and at a silent command, she told them to go ahead. Fenix gave a careful knock on the door and the Potions Master answered. 

"You wanted to see me, Sev?" Fenix spoke up softly. The Potions Master was sitting at his desk and to her it seemed that every inch of the desk was taken up by books and numerous scrolls. 

"Yes, I do. There's something I would like to discuss but now is not the time. This is one of the main reasons why I seldom go for vacations," Snape waved his hand at a pile of scrolls and manuscripts in displeasure. 

"Paperwork?" Fenix asked mildly. 

"What else? Would after supper be a good time?" Snape asked, trying not to sound to eager. Fenix gave a nod and opened the door. She whirled to face the Potions Master, her face growing minx-like as she was filled with growing curiosity. She shrugged after he gave a thin smile and headed out. _I wonder what he wants…_ she thought to herself, walking unhurriedly in the corridor and made no sound as she moved. Sirius was waiting with the rest of the company; leaning against the wall lazily and suddenly an image of her oathbrother leaning against the Mnid flashed through her mind. 

The door to her office opened suddenly and Sirius went in, began to inspect the office carefully before pausing at the desk, and looked into the drawers. He nodded with satisfaction as volumes of white sheets and a box full of quills filled the drawer. 

_ : Enjoyed the tour, Fenix? : _Wind asked drowsily. 

"Not really," Fenix said honestly as she looked out the window with yearning to be under the sky. There was a knock on the door and Professor McGonagall came in. She smiled with relief when she saw Harry. 

"I had wondered where the three of you were. Miss Maxwell," the Transfiguration teacher eyed Fenix carefully, "I trust that Mr. Potter had given you a tour of the castle?" Fenix gave a nod and McGonagall paused as if trying to decide if she should speak more. "And thank you for releasing Severus. He seems much warmer than he had been a few years ago." 

"Should I expect more visits like that in the near future?" Harry asked conversationally after Professor McGonagall had gone on her way. Remus and Sirius exchanged a nervous glance and fidgeted restlessly. "Forget it…" Harry gave a mournful sigh. 

The Defence teacher passed Fenix a number of scrolls as she sat on her desk and unrolled one slowly. It was her teaching schedule and she noticed that she would not have classes on the whole of Thursday afternoons and Fridays. The rest waited patiently as she studied it and picked one scroll randomly and unrolled her patrolling schedule. 

"I hope you don't mind that I had placed you together with Severus for patrolling," Remus said nervously. 

_ : Why not the both of us? : _Fenix spoke privately to him and Remus stared at her uneasily when she spoke rather coldly. 

_ : It's just that, it's inappropriate. I may not seem like a bad man, but I am a man after all. : _Remus did not dare to look at her directly as he went on. _: Fenix, I'm not trying to be mean but there were quite a number of times that I lose my self-control when I'm alone with you. :_

_ : I had noticed, : _Fenix replied slyly. _: Well, I don't mind at all, just as long he knows his stuff. So with whom are you partnering? :_

_ : Professor McGonagall. Sirius will be doing it with Kingsley, once the Auror finish reporting to the Ministry and get his rear here, : _ Remus answered easily. 

"Fenix," Harry spoke up softly, "if you don't mind, I'm taking Sirius with us to play some chess," the boy said firmly, ignoring his godfather's blank look. Hermione carefully put a bland expression on her face and took Ron out of the room determinedly. Sirius shot a dangerous look at Remus that signified _'Don't you dare get mischievous with her'_ while the werewolf looked innocently back at his best friend. Sirius and his godson left the room and closed the door after Sirius gave them a suspicious look. Fenix stood up from her chair and went straight for the window. She opened it. It was not raining as heavily as it had been, an hour ago, and the lightning dances had died down a little. There was a distant rumble of thunder and she closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of fresh rain and smiled when the first ray of sun poked through the gloomy clouds. 

Remus walked slowly towards her and placed his arms about her waist. He stood with her, smelling her scent and feeling the fresh breeze on his face. He gave a contented sigh and she turned so that she faced him. Remus traced her cheekbones and cupped her face as he leaned down to give her a kiss. Fenix gave an inward smile but returned the werewolf's affection. 

_ "We really shouldn't be watching this, Ric."_ Salz tugged at his friend's mail coat, looking around uneasily. 

_ "Salz, be more of a man won't you?"_ Ric complained and went back to watch the kissing couple. 

_ "Huh…"_ Salz snorted derisively at his best friend. _"Why don't you be more like a knight that had been knighted?"_

_ "Sometimes Salz, I wonder how in Heaven's name I got to be friends with you. And a close one at that,"_ Ric shook his head in disappointment. 

_ "Ric, that's enough peeking! Even if you aren't afraid of getting walloped by me, since you are making fun of my student, we are going to get skinned by Wen and Helga if they find out about this!"_ Salz tugged his friend a little more desperately. 

_ "All right, all right!" _Ric finally smiled at his friend, then immediately pulled Salz down and went flying through the floor and plunged in to other places. 

_ "Gwydion's Harp!" _Salz panted. _"That was close!"_

_ "Why are those two tagging us so closely?"_ Ric fretted._ "Their constant nosing is getting really irritating."_

_ "I think it would be wise if we were to be a little bit farther from them. Let's go down to the dungeons!"_ Salz face looked up at his friend's excitedly. 

_ "Damnation, Salz! What in hell are you trying to do? Put me into a ghostly depression?"_ Ric protested good-naturedly. _"It's bad enough that it's raining!"_

Salz gave a hearty laugh but determinedly pulled his friend all the way down to the castle. After a while, Ric gave up and raced with his friend to get to their usual meeting place in the dungeons. 

********** 


	31. Quandaries

****

~ Chapter 31: Quandaries ~   


****

Supper time…

Most of the teachers were absent from the Hall excluding the Headmaster who could not resist such splendid deserts that had been laid out for the students. The Hall was livened up by constant chatter and murmurs and now and then, raucous laughter emerged from all around the Hall. Students freely mingled among the houses except for the most senior of students from the Slytherin table who stayed within their circle of friends. 

A couple of Hufflepuffs had been secretly making a present for the Slytherin senior, Dina Free, and was looking out for Alamanda Durz who was chatting easily with her fellow first years on a Gryffindor table. Malfoy was looking at the Slytherin juniors with hatred and Parkinson was constantly murmuring her discontentment about the new teachers when Malfoy suddenly burst out, telling his partner to shut up. Silence quickly descended down in the Hall and the Headmaster peered curiously at the Slytherin table. Everyone was looking at a glowering Malfoy and a pale Parkinson. Dina Free broke the silence by laughing at the two Prefects and choked on her pumpkin juice and her suitor, Justin Linklater frantically pounded on her back. The Hall erupted with conversations again, most of them ignoring Malfoy and his gang. 

"Yo, Mike!" a fourth year Hufflepuff, Irvette MacRae, waved her hand to catch Michael Gregory's attention. Michael gracefully left the Gryffindor table and trotted up to his seniors, his angelic face etched in curiosity. 

"What?" 

"Would you mind asking Alamanda to give this to Dina Free?" she handed a parcel to the nonplussed boy. "Tell her it's from the Hufflepuffs." 

"Oh, all right," Michael shrugged then went back to his friends and gave a quick whisper to Alamanda. She turned to look at the anxious, waiting Hufflepuffs and gave them a thumbs-up and dashed off towards the recipient. 

Dina cocked her head towards Alamanda and jerked in surprise when Alamanda grabbed her down and gave a whisper as she thrust the gift to her senior. Dina nodded her head and looked quizzically at the parcel as Alamanda resumed her seat and smiled widely at the Hufflepuffs who grinned back. 

Justin placed his arm lazily and stared curiously as Dina opened the parcel. There was a note inside the parcel and she picked it up. It read: 

_Especially to Dina Free,_   
_ Just a thank-you gift from us Hufflepuffs._   
_ Hope you like our gift!_

__

From the Hufflepuffs… 

Dina handed the note to her boyfriend and opened the wrappings. It was a scarf of a brilliant emerald, well knitted and to her pleasure, a silver horned bull was sewn onto the scarf in perfect detail. 

"Wow!" Evina Grierson stared at the scarf. 

Dina searched the Hufflepuff table and finally caught the eyes of the maker. She held out the scarf in a salute and fingered it dreamily. The Hufflepuffs broke into a cheer. 

"Traitor!" Malfoy hissed and Dina's group of friends stared defiantly at him. Dina herself looked archly at him. 

They turned towards the entrance of the Hall when laughter echoed loudly from the corridor. Four Gryffindor students stumbled in, laughing uncontrollably and Malfoy glared at the cheerfully laughing Harry. 

"Oh gods!" Hermione gasped, collapsing onto Ron who was struggling not to double up with laughter. He balanced his girlfriend, face reddened he began to laugh hoarsely. The Headmaster was filled with amusement as he watched the students, and wondered what had happened to them that they had been incapacitated with laughter. Snape and Sirius went in next, with the latter struggling to contain his mirth while the Potions Master walked about with a peculiar expression on his face. Harry walked towards an unoccupied Gryffindor table and sat so that he was facing Malfoy, his usually pale face was red with the exertion of laughter. 

"Oh Merlin! Dear Merlin!" Ginny choked. "Somebody make us stop laughing!" she wailed helplessly. 

Snape glanced down at the Weasley, his hand was already reaching out for his wand. "Why didn't you ask me sooner?" 

"Not that way!" Ginny abruptly stopped laughing, looking at the Potions Master fearfully. Malfoy sneered at Ginny but gaped in shock when Snape casually sat himself beside Sirius at the Gryffindor table. 

__

: Don't trust your students, Severus? : Sirius said mildly. 

__

: I don't dare give my back, especially if it's Malfoy's son. : Snape stared lazily at the Slytherin Prefect who was fairly giving an imitation of a landed fish. The Potions Master tilted his head to a side and food miraculously appeared on the table. _: I wonder when the both of them will get here… : _Snape looked at the entrance of the Hall. 

"Why didn't you knock on the door?" Sirius muttered under his breath as he helped himself to a piece of chocolate cake. 

"And what made you think that I hadn't?" Snape argued softly. The peculiar expression on his face was still there and Sirius and the four Gryffindors collapsed into another bout of laughter. "They're lucky it wasn't Dumbledore or any other professors…" Snape's mouth quirked into a faint smile and busied himself with supper. Fenix came in with Remus; both looking flushed and the werewolf shot a disgruntled look at Sirius, who was still laughing. The couple parted and seated themselves on the opposite ends; Remus sat next to Snape as Fenix sat next to a red-faced Harry. She had changed from her splendid sorceress gown in favor for her plain Hunter gear. A glass of pumpkin juice appeared and she gulped it down thankfully. She accidentally looked at Hermione, and flushed even harder when the table erupted with giggles. 

__

I wish I could sink down to the floor right now! Fenix thought to herself, covering her blushing face with her hands. _: Guys, don't be cruel! :_ She moaned. 

__

: You said that you knocked on the door, : Sirius looked slyly at Snape and the Potions Master nodded gravely._ : Moony! : _Sirius exclaimed and Remus gave him a hard stare. 

"I wondered how long they had been at it…" Snape mumbled almost to himself. 

"Sev!" Fenix yelped out, looking at the Potions Master with a horrific expression. 

"Just thinking out loud, Fenix," Snape answered mildly and took a sudden interest in his food. 

**********

Due to the implementation of the school rules, no students were allowed to be wandering about the school after nine and Fenix escorted Harry and his group back to the Gryffindor Tower. The hallways were punctuated by eerie laughter as it echoed up and down the corridors. The Fire Master was no longer feeling flustered thanks to the students who promised to stop laughing for the time being. 

"Fenix, do you think it will rain tomorrow?" Ron asked wistfully as they came to the Fat Lady's portrait. 

Fenix took a moment to commune with her Sylphs and she answered back. "Wouldn't rain in the morning but light showers in the late afternoon; if there's no sudden change in the air currents." 

"Fabulous! Can we go flying tomorrow?" Ginny questioned. 

"I don't see why not," Fenix said and wished them all goodnight before they gave the password to the Fat Lady and disappeared into their common room. She then walked slowly back to her own room and ignored the ghosts drifting in and out of the walls, serving as a patrol squad. Fenix squeezed her eyes shut when Peeves startled her, trying to her racing heart. 

"Someone fetch the Bloody Baron," one ghost in a very medieval gown murmured to her partner. Fenix continued on her walk and her silent thoughts were broken when her oathbrother spoke up softly in her mind. 

__

: Severus wants to see you in his office, : he reminded her and she smiled gently. 

__

: All right. What about you and Remus? Going to bed now? : Fenix asked as she came into a familiar corridor and went up the stairs.   
  
_ : Yeah, we are. So come on up and wish us a goodnight first before you head down over to Severus. : _Sirius released his link and she smiled at her oathbrother's tact. She walked down the hallway silently, nearly surprising Professor Flitwick. Fenix apologized to him and smiled, passing Snape's office without a glance. She headed straight for Sirius's office. 

"Where's Remus?" Fenix asked as she gave her oathbrother a hug. 

"In his quarters," Sirius hugged her tightly and held her back, his eyes twinkling deviously at her. 

"Sirius…" Fenix smiled at him helplessly and stood on tiptoes to give him a kiss. "It would be strange for me not to have you sleeping beside me." 

"There's always a first for everything. Now go and give my friend his goodnight kiss and I'll see you in the morn." Sirius pushed her out of the office and positioned her towards Remus's door. 

__

: Night, bro. : Fenix smiled fondly at him and Sirius winked at her. 

__

: Night and sweet dreams. Don't take too long though, or you'll make Severus fume and he might decide to give a knock on the door again. : Sirius said slyly and chuckled at her embarrassment. 

__

: All right, all right. Go to sleep. : Fenix then moved towards Remus's door. It opened suddenly and an arm pulled a very surprised Fenix into the room. The office was dark, dimly lighted by a candle at the far end of the room. Remus was looking at her in a peculiar manner and she looked back at him uncertainly. Then she closed her eyes as his lips found hers. 

**********

Fenix walked out of Remus's office soon after, and she was shaking very badly. _Okay… it's a good thing I'll be doing my patrols with Severus. If I'm alone with him, chances are that_ we _won't get any patrolling done at all. Dear Phoebus! I haven't been left swooning after a kiss for years!_ She bit her lip and tried to stop her body from shaking with exhilaration. She went in to her office first; ignoring her bondmates' mischievous stares and looked into the mirror._ Good, he didn't mess me up too much. Maybe I should wash up a bit._

She looked critically in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction before she stepped out of the corridor again and moved swiftly to Snape's office. She knocked on the door before entering. Snape was reading several manuscripts, and since she had arrived, he invited her to sit on a chair. Fenix lifted the chair and placed it so that she was facing the Potions Master. 

"I thought I saw a second office down below in the dungeons," Fenix began, crossing her arms on her chest and leaned comfortably against the chair. 

"That was generally for use when term starts," Snape answered, giving a thin smile at her. 

"Logical I suppose," Fenix shrugged and gave him a curious look. "So what did you want to talk about?" 

"A request," Snape said quietly and Fenix tilted her head in inquiry. "I wonder…" Snape faltered and Fenix gave an exasperated sigh. 

"What is it?" Fenix asked impatiently. 

Snape cleared his throat before answering her. "I wonder if you would work with me in a current project of mine." 

Fenix calmly looked at the Potions Master and played with her dagger that she had concealed under her sleeve. "What project?" 

"I'm in the process of making a batch of Veritaserum and an antiseptic potion for Madam Pomfrey. I don't trust the students to take care of making the antiseptic potion. God knows what fumbling pairs of hands they have," Snape explained, looking hopefully at her. 

"And what makes you think I won't be clumsy myself?" Fenix asked archly. 

"I have seen you work, Fenix," Snape leaned forward, gazing intensely at her face, while she looked back in amusement. 

"What kind of work?" 

"Baking. Methodical. And Dumbledore mentioned that you work as an environmentalist so there was one point of time you might have learned something about chemicals and drugs," Snape answered easily. Fenix nodded at him in approval and her face glowed with happiness. 

"Yes, I do have some experience in being a chemist and a herbologist," Fenix admitted and rubbed her hands gleefully. "It's been quite a while since I've done lab work, but you do know Hermione would be able to do the job as well as I could." 

Snape gave a small laugh and suddenly stopped as if he was reexamining himself. "Let's just say it's an instinct of a researcher." 

Fenix sat and contemplated the Potions Master's request. _Actually, I don't mind at all…_ "Okay, it's a deal. But when do I work with you?" 

"The weekends… those are the only days the teachers get a break," Snape answered conjuring two cups of coffee for them. Fenix smiled sweetly to the Potions Master and cooled the hot mug of coffee just a wee bit, so that she could sip at the drink without burning herself. The peaceful silence was broken by a diffident knock on the door and Justin Linklater of Slytherin came in and looked at both staff members uneasily. 

__

: Maybe, I should go Severus-- : Fenix looked at the Potions Master carefully and she knew by the slightest narrowing of his eyes, he was angry. 

__

: Stay. : Snape glanced briefly at her before beckoning the student forward. "What is it that is so important that you have decided to break the rules by coming in after nine?" the Potions Master questioned him silkily. 

"I've escorted him here, Severus," the Bloody Baron appeared. 

Justin cleared his throat uneasily. "Professor Snape, I've decided to withdraw from the Quidditch team. You have to find another Chaser to replace me." Snape studied his student carefully and nodded much to his student's relief. Justin withdrew from the room, with the Slytherin ghost following. The student closed the door silently. 

"You do know that you'll be overseeing Gryffindor's team?" the Potions Master asked as he drank his coffee. 

"Yes, and I do know we have to divide the Quidditch Pitch," Fenix answered, looking out the window for a moment and sighed as the dances of lightning resumed its work in the sky. "I do hope it'll be dry tomorrow. I'm looking forward to see the Pitch and fly that broom I bought. He's feeling rather sulky ever since the wet weather and since the day we left The Burrow," she sighed gloomily, trailing her index finger on the rim of the cup. 

"Well, I wouldn't keep you here much longer. Why don't you go to bed?" Snape suggested, as he gave a wave of his wand and her cup vanished from her hand. She smiled fondly at the Potions Master and got up from her chair to give him a tender kiss on his hair and headed out of the room in silence. 

Snape stared stupidly at the closed door and took a deep breath. _I wonder if she's gone mad after the train journey… _The Potions Master refocused his attention on his formulas and to his horror, he felt himself blushing. 

**********

Fenix was staring at the ceiling, feeling a little strange without the presence of her oathbrother beside her on the bed. _How in hell did he manage to grow on me so fast?_ She turned to her left and stared at the window. 

__

: Couldn't sleep sister? : Sirius asked tenderly and smiled at her uneasiness that resonated through their bond._ : I know, I'm having trouble sleeping too. :_

__

: Would you stay linked with me, brother-mine? : She asked softly. 

__

: I don't know if it's a good idea that we're dependent on each other this way, : Sirius replied in concern. 

__

: You couldn't sleep too? : Remus's mindvoice asked, his mindvoice sounding a little distressed. 

__

: We're just like babies, aren't we? Couldn't go to sleep with our dear little mama, : Sirius joked in a half-hearted manner. Fenix shook her head, filled with amusement. The three of them linked solidly in each other's minds and sleep took them into a gentle slumber. 

**********

Hedwig hooted softly outside Harry's window and the boy quickly got out from his bed to rescue her from the strong wind. The owl launched itself into the room and Harry shut the window quickly. 

"Crazy owl," Harry gasped and Hedwig blinked curiously at her owner. He continued mumbling and lifted her up from her perch. "Why didn't you go up to the Owlery?" he whispered softly to his owl, scratching her neck and ears lightly. She pecked at Harry's sleeping clothes and Harry did not think it was coincidence that she had pecked on a green spot. "Malfoy's owl?" Hedwig hooted in answer and craned her neck at her perch. The young man obliged his pet and she soon settled down to doze. Harry gave a sigh and flopped on his bed. _I wondered how Ron could easily fall asleep… I am as tired as he is… Phoebus… he's a god of the sun… I wonder why Fenix worshipped him. Not a lot of people pay attention to gods and deities anymore…_ Harry was contemplating on the subject of religion when Sleep finally took pity on him, and Harry slept peacefully, only dreaming about flying on his Firebolt and chasing a merry Snitch. 

**********


	32. DeStressing

**~ Chapter 32: De-Stressing ~**   


**Sunday, 3rd September. Hogwarts…**

Fenix woke up slowly and stared up at the ceiling. The first thought that crossed her mind was to ask for a wall clock. She sat up slowly and Wind stirred the moment she felt movement on the bed. 

_ : Are you getting up already? :_ Wind blinked drowsily and gave a quick yawn. 

_ : Yeah, I am. Why don't you stay with your mate as long as he's still sleeping? :_ She answered as she got out of the bed and headed straight to the bathroom to wash up. She had donned on her Hunter gear and was toweling her wet hair when she stepped back into the bedroom. The two wolves were curled up together in bed and she gave a fond smile at her bondmates. She went into her office to brush her hair as she needed some light and she did not want to disturb her sleeping wolves. Winky suddenly appeared carrying a pot of hot chocolate and some sandwiches for breakfast. Another house-elf appeared and snapped his fingers and a wall clock appeared out of nowhere and attached itself next to the talking mirror. Fenix thanked the house-elves softly and sat down on her desk, drinking her chocolate softly. She sighed when she looked at the sandwiches and ate one sluggishly._ I could never eat so early in the morning._ She sighed and determinedly finished that particular sandwich and placed the dish cover back on. _Maybe I'll work up an appetite after my workout. _She glanced at the wall clock and it showed it was seventeen minutes to five. _It should be early enough that no one would try to disturb me._

The corridor was dark when she opened her office door and she looked about with a sense of trepidation. _I hope that Peeves wouldn't come out so suddenly, _she thought nervously and slowly walked to the staircase and went down to the Entrance Hall. She met the Gryffindor ghost gliding about as he patrolled with two other ghosts. 

"Good morning, Miss Maxwell," Sir Nicholas whispered as the three ghosts gathered around her. 

"Morning, guys," she replied just as softly. 

"Where are you going?" 

"Outside, near the lake. I wish to do some exercise," Fenix informed the ghosts and Nick cautioned her to be for as long as she was out of the castle. The Fire Master went down the steps only to come across the caretaker and his cat. He was looking rather suspiciously at her and she gave a careful nod before she laid her palm against the great door of the castle. It swung silently and as soon it was wide enough, she crept out and the door swung close quietly. She probed the ground carefully and to her relief, it was not wet and muddy. _At least I know I could move about without having to worry that I might loose my footing in slippery ground._ She looked at the deep midnight blue sky, dotted with gentle twinkling stars and found herself smiling at the peacefulness that filled her soul. The Forbidden Forest loomed darkly in the distance and she heard some guttural growls coming from it. _I had better keep an eye on that side._

She did a couple of warm-ups before her sword emerged from her left hand and she began to move instinctively. She did a couple of the dances that she had been thought and found herself wishing for a sparring partner. She began to flow with the sword and was not even aware that someone else was present in the grounds until she met resistance against her blade. I_ hope this visit doesn't get me into trouble, _she groaned inwardly as she felt the Headmaster moving about in the castle. She was not given opportunity to contemplate as He quickly went into an attacking mode. One thought did cross her mind as she picked up the pace;_ be careful what you wish for you might get it._

Professor Dumbledore stared in mute shock as he watched the knight dueling with Fenix. A distant part of him admired the woman's agility and superb reflexes while another detached part of him worried on the issue of trespassing. 

_ : Don't worry, Albus, :_ the Headmaster felt something brush against his robe and looking down, it was one of Fenix's wolves, the one who was named Wind. _: He is one of Fenix's instructors. : _The wolf calmly sat on her haunches and watched the fluid movements of the two fighters. Fenix's sword was making the strange music again and it continued for about half an hour when the duel gradually came into a stop. The knight saluted without raising his visor and vanished. 

Her sword slid back into his hiding place and she slowly began to walk around circles to cool down. She was aware of the Headmaster's presence and Wind although they were perfectly camouflaged by the darkness of the morning and the castle. Then she stepped forward nearer to the bank of the lake and stood motionlessly as she watched the landscape. Soft footfalls emerged from behind her and she raised her face to the sky as the first ray of sunlight lit the sky, giving subtle vermilion shade to the sky. She looked down on the lake, watching the water rippling gently and further out, giant tentacles whipped out from the water and pulled down again into the lake. The Headmaster knew that she knew that he was there and stood beside her as they watched sun ascending slowly up into the sky. 

Back in the castle, students and teachers alike were rousing up, and soon enough murmurs of soft conversations could be heard, and windows lighted up. Fenix turned her head slightly to watch the Headmaster and he nodded. Both of them retreated back to the castle to get a bite of breakfast. 

********** 

Hermione happily trooped into the common room and greeted Dean and Ginny who were hanging out in the common room with Neville. She looked at her pocket watch and pursed her lips thoughtfully. 

"Are Harry and Ron still sleeping?" Hermione asked the company in the room as she peeked out the window. Several chorus of 'yes' emerged and she turned back to look pleadingly at Neville and begged him to wake the boys up. Neville did as she asked and went back to the boys' dormitory and went in to the bedroom. He tiptoed quietly to Harry's bed first and shook him slightly. 

Harry was still dreaming about flying on his Firebolt when it started to go up and down and he felt that he was losing his grip on the Firebolt. Then he felt himself falling and suddenly snapped his eyes opened to meet Neville's timid pair of eyes. 

"What's up?" Harry croaked as he fumbled for his glasses. 

"Hermione wanted me to wake you and Ron up," Neville said, he was shaking Ron up and the Weasley sat up and blinked in confusion. Harry got out of bed, looked out the window, and grinned widely. He glanced down at his watch; it showed nine-thirty in the morning. 

"We don't have time to waste, Ron," Harry spoke up cheerfully. "Sun's out and it's dry. Why don't we go and take Fenix up to the Pitch?" Ron stared at his friend and a bright smile stretched his face. 

********** 

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and a couple of other Gryffindors were waiting patiently outside Professor McGonagall's office. She came out; looking a little bit disgruntled at the early intrusion and asked Hermione curtly as she eyed the company with broomsticks on hand. 

"We wonder if we could take Fenix to the Quidditch Pitch. She wants to do a little bit of flying on her broom," Hermione said breathlessly and the rest wore pleading expressions on their faces. It might have worked a lot better if the boys were still under her chin, but not so as most of them topped the Transfiguration teacher by several inches. 

"Well, say if I give you the keys to the pitch. How will you keep the _troublemakers_ away?" Professor McGonagall spoke in an unfriendly voice. 

"We will take care of it, Professor," Dina Free and her gang and all of the first years turned up suddenly. "And maybe you should recruit the DA, that might help us. Last year's train ride home was an amusing experience," she gave Harry a wink when she said it. 

"I don't think the troublemakers would dare to do anything right where Professor Lupin is," Ron said confidently. 

"Very well," McGonagall gave them each a calculating look and turned back to her office to get the keys. She handed these to Hermione who gave her a wide smile then fled towards Fenix's office. 

Fenix opened the door and Hermione found Remus and Sirius having their breakfast in her office. Fenix made way so the two men could see Hermione and the bunch of students crowding in the corridor with expectant faces. 

"What's up?" Fenix asked cheerfully, and some of the students stared at her in disbelief. They were not expecting her to treat their fellow students casually. 

"Don't you want to go and fly?" Ginny asked. 

"Ginny, be a little more specific could you?" Sirius said humorously. "She might decide to take your words literally." Fenix laughed at her oathbrother fondly. 

"Intending to play the Weasleys' version of a Quidditch game?" Fenix asked Ron archly when she saw the keys in Hermione's hand and their brooms. 

"Come on, Fenix!" Ron said desperately. "You don't really want to wait until it starts to rain now, don't you?" 

"Okay, okay…" Fenix looked back at her lover and oathbrother. "You guys free?" Sirius wiped his mouth with a napkin and gave her a devilish smile. Remus was looking a bit worried and that made Fenix feel a little disappointed. 

_ : Why are you looking so crestfallen, lover? : _Remus's mindvoice danced in her mind gently. 

_ : Aren't you coming? :_ Fenix gave a sad smile at him and looked directly into his soft hazel eyes. 

_ : What makes you think I am not? :_ Remus gave a sidelong glance at her, smiling roguishly at his lover. _: Come on, you heard what Ron said. No time to waste now. :_ He got up and the house-elves automatically cleaned up the remains of their breakfast. The two went out to change and get their own brooms as Hermione and Dina discussed something in undertones. The company parted as Dina and her gang, and some of the others went to the Pitch first, while Hermione and Ron went off to find some of the DA members. 

"Harry… do you mind if… we ask Cho… to come along?" Hermione asked him uneasily and flushed when he gave her a hard stare. 

"Up to you, but I don't see why you should bother," Harry said flatly and Hermione went off to find some of the members and that left him in Fenix's office. 

_ : So, why are you being snappish? Never mind… a case of puppy love? :_ Fenix asked the young man mildly. 

_ : Yeah, :_ Harry answered brusquely and gave a long sigh. _: You ought to get change before they have the chance to get impatient, : _he suggested as he sat himself on a stool, fingering his Firebolt absently. Fenix gave him an oblique look before going to her bedroom to change into nondescript attire and her blue Nike shoes. The wolves trooped out from the bedroom as she reentered the office and her Ice Dagger flew off from its stand, poking her gently in her stomach. Harry looked at the excited broom in amusement and remarked that it was behaving quite like a dog. 

_ : I agree, : _Fenix replied, her voice sounding very amused as she laid a hand on the handle and calmed it a little. 

"Fenix!" Sirius's voice yelled out. "Are you coming?" 

"Are you two coming along?" Fenix looked down at her four-footed companions. Silver gave a nod and they all proceeded out of the office. The Fire Master took a moment to lock her office magically before following Harry and the wolves. Several students and teachers were eyeing them curiously and some of them did stare at Fenix and her broom in open amazement. 

"Bloody hell! That's the most unique of brooms ever to be made! I didn't kno--" a Ravenclaw whispered excitedly to his friends. Amidst all these excitement and positive exclamations, there were several jeers among Malfoy's company. 

"For shame… I never knew that Dumbledore would stoop as low as to get a Muggle to teach us! Hah! What a joke! And Mr. Potty's sticking very close to the Fire Master. What happened, Potty? Feeling scared to be alone? Of course you ought to be… the Dark Lord's going to come for you anytime now!" a still-bruised Malfoy laughed uproariously, quite unaware that his company was retreating further and further back when Harry gave a callous look at them. 

"Me? Afraid to be alone, Malfoy?" Harry said silkily. "I'm not even scared of Death. I remembered that a few months back I was so goddamn willing to die," the young man said in a very harsh tone. The wolves took the opportunity to creep forward and bared their fangs at the Slytherin prefect. The hostile behavior of the wolves made them realize the notoriety of man-killing wolves. Some of the students watched the pair of wolves in respect, some in mingled fear and awe. 

_ : Go on Harry. They're waiting for us, : _Fenix said quietly, and the group went down to the Entrance Hall without any further incidents. Harry wore a solemn face all the way, uninviting people who tried to engage him with small talks. Fenix knew after several discussions with Hermione and Ginny that Harry's animosity of the Slytherin prefect had increased ever since he had came across Mr. Malfoy. Harry, who did not have any family at that time, was strangely protective of the Weasley family and as both boys grew up, so did their hatred. She had asked Harry in passing once, why he had hated Malfoy. Harry had admitted that he did not actually hate the Slytherin boy. It was just a major case of dislike. He did not know when the transition took place but said fervently, _"Every single time I managed to glance at him even by accident, he seemed to be constantly sneering. That made me feel violent. I wish I could have just knocked that disgusting expression from his face. Thousands of times."_

_ I can't say that I blame him, _Fenix thought to herself. Harry led her down onto the slopes and she could see the pitch clearly. Harry was sweating lightly and Fenix almost crowed in delight that she was not indoors anymore. She was also aware that some of the students were trailing behind them, but decided not to mention it to Harry as she felt Parkinson egging Malfoy to follow them. They passed through the gate and she saw Hermione waving her hands frantically from one of the stands. Most of them were already flying above the ground and she took the opportunity to count heads. Counting Harry and herself, there was a total of twelve people on the broomsticks. Harry mounted his broom and flew up to Sirius, grinning widely. 

The wolves had Jumped to where Hermione was sitting and Fenix winked at them before she gracefully glided off from the ground. She took several minutes to scout about, caught sight of Dina keeping an eye on Malfoy and his bunch of goons. Fenix silently instructed her Elementals to keep an eye too and she cast both a physical and magical shield over the entire area. 

_ : I wonder why you're being overcautious, :_ Sirius spoke softly in her mind. _: This place is protected by the ancient spells of the Founders and those after them. :_

_ : The extra effort is not harming me in any kind of way, : _she answered indifferently._ : So who are the rest? :_

The players gathered as Harry started giving introductions. "This is Lee Jordan, friend of the twins, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan--" the two boys nodded their heads in acknowledgment. 

Fenix smiled slyly at Seamus and just said, "The boy who had lovingly decorated the junior Malfoy's face." 

"-- And this is Irvette MacRae, Zacharias Smith and…" Harry faltered as he stared at an ex-Chaser. 

"I'm Justin," the dark-haired Slytherin answered, looking at Harry with a strange expression. 

"So…" Remus interrupted before the others could back away from the game, "how are we to group?"   
  
Fenix divided them in the blink of an eye: Sirius, Harry, Dean, Seamus, Irvette, and Justin made one group and the others formed the another. Justin looked thoughtfully at the rest of them and wondered just how he was supposed to know if one was his group member or not. Fenix evidently was thinking among the same lines as she studied her members and the other team carefully. She snapped her fingers and told her members to remove their cloaks. 

"Are you sure about this, Fenix?" Ron asked the Fire Master dubiously. 

"How else can you people differentiate the other team?" she answered impatiently. "It's hot enough that you won't catch a cold. And not as if you're flying through damp clouds," she pointed out. Ron gave up, proceeded to remove his cloak, and flew down where Hermione was seated with Neville and Luna. Meanwhile, Harry was explaining the others how the version was played. Since there was no Snitch and no Bludgers, except for the rattan ball that Hermione had thrown into the air to be caught expertly by Remus, the game was to have one keeper for each team and five Chasers. 

"Seems interesting and we won't have to worry about rogue Bludgers," Seamus said with sly twinkle in his eyes. 

"Well, enough talking people," Sirius announced, clearly impatient to play. "Let's begin!" 

Irvette and Ron went to the opposite goal posts as Keepers, and Sirius tossed the ball. The game began. The stadium was gradually filling up, probably because the students were bored and had not found anything worth their attention. Malfoy and his gang were up to their mischief. They were about to cast a dancing spell on the flyers when Dina and some fellow students from all the other Houses crept up on them and bound them with a Paralyzing Spell. Malfoy sat rigidly like a stone and Dina gave a high-five to one of her friends, grinning maliciously and scrambled up to their own seats. 

Hermione was torn in supporting the two teams but gave up, conjuring up a quill and a board to keep track of goals. Luna was screaming madly at the top of her lungs, cheering: _Go Harry!_ Harry was speeding towards his friend, aiming for an unprotected space but somehow Ron's reflexes were much quicker than he had imagined and Ron managed to deflect the ball into the clutches of the Defense teacher. Luna sighed in disappointment and Hermione gave her a speculative glance, then turned back when Neville jumped up from his seat, looking at a blurred figure of the Fire Master and Sirius who was dogging her. Fenix threw the ball to Ginny who was under the Fire Master and quickly passed it to Zacharias. A whistle from Fenix alerted the Chaser to lose altitude and passed it to Lee, who was flying rapidly towards Irvette's goal post and scored for the team. 

The game went on for about half an hour when a couple of Ravenclaws yelled out for Lee. The exhilarated boy went down and looked questioningly at the group. They were begging him to be the commentator. 

"This is not even a real match!" Lee protested. After several minutes of begging, threatening and some screaming, Lee surrendered and went in search for someone to replace him. 

"Alicia! They want me to commentate; take my place, will you?" Lee asked the Gryffindor captain. The girl took the borrowed broom and experimented flying on it for a bit before she joined the rest up in the air. 

During this brief commotion, Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch had decided to see the state of the students and both gave a sigh of relief when nothing seemed blackened. It was coincidence that they had chosen the area where Malfoy and his gang remained frozen in their seats. 

"I wonder…" McGonagall peered carefully at their frozen states and their hands that held their wands. "The rest of you," she gave a piercing look at those who were seated near the frozen students, "clear this place now." 

The Transfiguration teacher unfroze the company and quickly reflected their spells using a Shield Charm. She looked at the dancing company in distaste and after ten minutes had passed and the increase of laughter had finally reached the climax, she muttered _"Finite."_

The group of Slytherins stared at the Head of Gryffindor House with shock and she stared back at them implacably. "If I can't trust you and your friends to stay out of mischief, Mr. Malfoy, I will ban you from attending major school functions." McGonagall then took a seat further back with Madam Hooch and listened to Lee's amplified voice. 

The commentator tapped his wand playfully and muttered, _"Sonorus."_ He experimented with the volume and after a few minutes, he began. "As you all can see," Lee's loud voice vibrated through the air, "this is not a real Quidditch game! This is what they call, the Weasleys' version and here we have two teams! The Firebolt and the Ice Dagger!!!" Several whistles emerged from the stadium. "We'll have to restart the introduction and the game! For the pure benefit of the late comers who refused to be cooped up in the castle!" Lee said loudly and the appreciative audience cheered. "How refreshing it feels to know that my skills in commentating hasn't faded!" 

"Lee, if you're starting to brag, I'll make your head swell like a pumpkin!" someone from a group of Hufflepuffs threatened. 

"All right! Now here in the Firebolt team-- Members do cooperate-- We have Harry Potter!" Cheers all around and they could all hear Luna's delighted squeals as Harry flied around the stadium. "Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Irvette MacRae, Justin Linklater! And not forgetting our Assistant Professor Sirius Black who is also flying a Firebolt! And now, I will present the Ice Dagger team! We have the Weasleys, Ron and Ginny! Damn, how I miss the twins! Alicia Spinnet! Zacharias Smith! And not forgetting the teachers who will be teaching Defense against the Dark Arts! Professor Lupin and his assistant, the current rider of the Ice Dagger! Miss Fenix Maxwell!" Cacophonous cheers rocked the stadium. 

"All right! The game will be played for an hour! So let's see which team scores the most goals! A word to the Gryffindor Quidditch players! This is your first practice to be Chasers! Now, let's toss the ball!" Lee shouted. 

********** 

**Three hours later. In the Hall…**

Fenix was laughing at Lee's description of them playing in the pitch. They were all seated at an empty Ravenclaw table, munching down on their lunch. Everyone seemed much relaxed after the game and Fenix found that she had picked up quite an appetite after the game. 

_ : That was quite a good day of flying, wasn't it? :_ Harry asked her in mindspeech as he was greedily eating his spaghetti. 

_ : Yeah, it sure was! : _Fenix replied giddily. 

_ : So, lover… :_ Remus spoke up, his face showing signs of tan and windburn. _: Are you ready to settle down and do some heavy-duty revision with me? We do need to discuss for our lesson tomorrow. :_

Fenix gave a tender smile at the man sitting opposite her. _: I guess I'm ready to sit down and get some work done. Is there any way to increase the size of my desk? :_ She questioned rather petulantly at him. 

_ : It's not big enough? :_ Remus asked in mild surprise but Sirius interrupted. 

_ : The office desk was a wee smaller than the study table she had back home, : _her oathbrother spoke up. 

_ : Maybe an Enlargement Spell might work, :_ Remus said thoughtfully and their attention was recaptured by Lee's excited voice. 

********** 


	33. Malfoy Mistreated

**~ Chapter 33: Malfoy Mistreated ~**   


**Monday, 4th September. The Beginning of School Term…**

All about the castle was peaceful as students lazily got out of bed to meet the new day, and the initiation of classes. Harry woke up suddenly at exactly seven-thirty in the morning and blinked at the light coming from the window in confusion. He was trying hard to remember what day it was then gave an inward sigh when he realized that it was already Monday, and that they need to get down to the Hall to get their timetables. His roommates were fast asleep and he had better get them moving or they would be receiving a lashing from their Head of House at the beginning of school term. _And here we are supposed to set up examples to the juniors._ Harry smiled at his silent thought and began shaking his friends up. 

"Bugger off…" Ron groaned and hid his face under his blanket. Dean and Seamus woke up grudgingly and shuffled slowly out of bed to get their school robes and toiletries. All of them had arranged all their books inside their bags, it was only a matter of getting back to their dormitory and getting rid of the books that they would not be needing for their lessons that day. Ron was still under the covers and Harry decided to play an old trick the twins used on their younger siblings. 

"Ron! There's a big tarantula on that blanket of yours!" he shouted and his two other roommates winced at his loud voice that suddenly rang out in the bedroom. 

_ "Aaaaah!"_ Ron instantly jumped out of the bed, getting rid of his blankets instantly. His three friends laughed at him and Dean tossed his school robe towards the indignant Ron. 

"Better get moving, mate," Harry said, reaching out for his glasses and put them on. "Or we're going to be late." 

"You don't really have to use my fear of spiders to wake me up…" Ron grumbled and Harry chuckled softly. 

"Damn! It's twenty minutes to eight! We'll have to get ready by ten minutes before the corridors get jammed with students rushing for the Hall," Dean reached out for his own stuff and they all quickly headed off towards the restroom. It was lucky for them that the restroom was not crowded and they quickly got themselves ready and rushed back to their bedroom to get rid of their towels in an untidy heap. It was chaos in the common room. Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and they shuffled out of the hole and headed straight out of the Gryffindor Tower. 

"Where's Ginny?" Ron raised his voice at the increasing din around them. 

"She's already at the Hall!" Hermione yelled out in answer, as they squeezed themselves into the entrance of the Hall. Just for that particular day, they were seated in their chronological order during breakfast. The sixth-years waved at Ginny, who held a fork in one hand and waving the other hand back at them. Harry helped himself to a couple of pancakes and ate them as he scanned the crowd for Sirius. However, it seemed that his godfather, along with his oathsister and best friend were absent from the Hall. 

"Ron, your breakfast is not going to run off from your plate, you know," Hermione whispered to her partner, her cheeks reddening as she struggled not to chuckle. "Our lessons only start at nine." 

While the students were having their breakfast, the Heads were moving slowly down the table, giving out their lesson schedules. Harry had finished his plate of pancakes and Hermione was cutting several pieces of fresh chocolate cake for the three of them when McGonagall reached them and handed the scrolls to them. They hastily wiped their hands on a napkin as they briskly unrolled their timetables. Harry grinned when he saw that their first lesson for the morning was Defence, a triple period. His eyes bulged out in horror when he studied his timetable again. Ron echoed the groan that emerged from Harry's throat. Back somewhere at the Slytherin tables, Snape gave a faint cruel smile when he heard Ron complained his heart out to his friends about their Advanced Potions, who were more or less in agreement with the red-headed Prefect. 

"Bloody hell! Six hours every week! Two double periods of practical work and a double period for theory! I think I'm going to die of sheer exhaustion!" Ron groaned, massaging his temples as if he was having a headache. 

"Chill out, Ron," Dean said reassuringly. "At least we have the same amount of time spent for Defence." 

"Yeah, and we have nothing for the afternoons of Thursdays and Fridays. That's a lot of compensation, isn't it?" Seamus said thoughtfully. 

"Meaning we probably will have_ tons_ of homework for the weekend," Ron answered convincingly. 

"Ron, you're depressing me…" Harry grimaced at his friend's words, which will probably turn out true. 

********** 

**The Defence Classroom…**

Professor Lupin was waiting for the students to be seated. Harry looked about the classroom and finally spotted Fenix who was looking out of the window with a slight frown. 

"It's funny, I thought I saw that beetle yesterday…" the Fire Master muttered under her breath, catching the attention of Malfoy and the Defence teacher. His bruised eye was healing, the edges yellowing and he was giving a very malicious smile that he quickly controlled when Seamus and Dean took seats beside the Slytherin prefect. Malfoy's usual bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle had to choose other seats further back as the seats behind their leader was occupied by Hermione, Dina, and Justin. 

_ : Remus, I don't like that beetle, :_ Fenix complained suddenly and he gave a look of surprise when she slammed the window shut. _: It's giving me the feeling as if it's spying and listening to us. The Sylphs finds it suspicious too. :_

_ : Can it be? :_ Harry frowned and whispered something to Ron, who got up and went to the window that Fenix had closed forcefully. 

"Yep, it's her all right," Ron answered as he peered through the glass, and turned to Hermione who shot a lofty look at him. She gave a huff as she stood up and marched towards Ron. She flung the window open and yelled on top of her lungs. 

_ "You want me to stick you in a jar again?"_

Fenix looked curiously at her and exchanged an amused and quizzical glance at the Defence teacher who just shrugged. The beetle that had been resting on a tree branch suddenly took flight, zooming away from the tree. She gave a thankful smile at Hermione and the students resumed their seats. 

"Good morning," Professor Lupin began and was greeted excitedly by the class except for the usual three. "There's no need for me to introduce myself. And this is my assistant, Miss Fenix Maxwell." Fenix gave a nod and gave each of the students a penetrating glance. "I must say that some of you are greatly behind in this subject except for Miss Free and her partner and of course, those who had been in the Defence Association. The rest of you had just spent a hell lot of time wasted on theory work, last year." Remus gave a wink at Harry as he stood up from his sitting position. "As someone had mentioned to me, theoretical stuff's all well and good but hands-on is much better," he gave a sidelong glance at Fenix who just looked indifferently at him, before resuming her serious scan of the classroom. 

Professor Lupin began to ask questions as he moved about the classroom and the students took notes on the spells that could be used for what purpose. They spent the entire hour on revision with Professor Lupin's assistant keeping very, very silent as she watched the students. Harry did not doubt that she was paying close attention to the words of Professor Lupin. 

"Pay attention, Mr. Malfoy," Fenix commanded in a firm voice suddenly, making Harry's heart jump in his throat. "Your life may depend on what Professor Lupin teaches you. The Aurors are stretched to their limit that they could only afford to give only one of them to the School." Malfoy stared at her in resentment and finally looked away from her cold, impassive eyes. 

Professor Lupin cleared his throat to regain the students' attention. "Now that we're done with our revision, Miss Maxwell will take over from here as she is most suited to this particular task than I am." 

Hermione straightened up in her seat as Fenix moved forward to the center of the room. "I will not mince words with you. You are all very intelligent-- one way or another-- and that you know we are not living in peaceful times…" 

"Why should you care?" Malfoy grated and muttered off several insults under his breath. Fenix stared coldly at him. Lupin was strangely silent as he watched the two. The Fire Master moved closer to the Slytherin prefect. The boy looked at her fearlessly then gasped as his mind was filled with images that was best described as a warning to the boy. Just as suddenly, the images vanished. 

"Get away from me…" Malfoy whispered, his eyes wide with terror as he realized that she was the one who had imported the visions. 

Fenix gave him an exasperated sigh and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder to calm him. "I am sorry to do that to you, but I can't _think_ properly when you're having those offensive thoughts about _certain_ people," she gave Malfoy an unfriendly stare. "Now, your mind's clear so keep it that way." The Fire Master moved back towards the center of the classroom. 

"Voldemort might try to come at the School anytime now, for all we know." Fenix crossed her arms and looked out at the window. "Not trying to make you guys panic, but it's strangely quiet. And I don't like it one tiny bit." 

The students exchanged worried looks because they knew she was right. The classroom fell silent and they jumped as one when Peeves appeared from the bottom of the floor. To the poltergeist's dismay, Fenix had just about enough of his sudden appearances and flung him straight away with a gesture of her hand. Peeves went soaring over the students' heads to collide with a pail of murky water, somewhere out the corridor. 

_ "I will kill you! My precious clean floor!" _they heard the caretaker's screams from the Defence classroom. 

"So," Fenix continued, looking suggestively at Harry, "we will spend the first part of our lesson to apply some magical techniques that's not known in your_ current_ wizard world. We won't be using wands, just your minds." Hermione raised her hand tentatively. Fenix tilted her head in inquiry and the girl voiced her question. 

"What exactly are we going to do?" 

"Create a physical shield," Fenix answered easily. "Your next question might be: Can you do it? Yes, you could. This technique was lost sometime during the twelfth century of the wizarding world, but I don't really know the reason why." 

Harry stared thoughtfully at the Fire Master and was the next to raise a question. "So we are going to create a physical shield to ward off magical attacks?" When Fenix nodded, he furrowed his eyebrows and thought again. "But wouldn't the spells just bounce off the shield? Just like that night? I don't think I want to bear the consequences of hitting something or someone accidentally," he gave a worried look at the Defence teachers. 

Fenix gave a smile of approval at Harry and Professor Lupin stepped in to answer. "We are going to teach you how to create a physical shield that _absorbs_ the spells that had been flung at you. Of course, if it's a stone or any physical object it will simply be pulled down by gravity and not fly aimlessly about the area. This method's a purely defensive mechanism." 

"Correct. Now, I would like the rest of you to settle down comfortably in your chairs. I'm going to link all your minds with mine and show you the way of shielding. And even if You-Know-Who happens to have news of this kind of shielding," a lot of the students were staring at Malfoy, and Seamus popped his knuckles significantly, "he wouldn't be able to duplicate it. Because he doesn't have what it takes to make it function." 

"What do you mean?" Ron asked. 

"It's a little difficult to explain, but as far as it goes, Voldemort _is_ dead," she frowned then sighed. "I don't really know how to explain it to you." 

"Then I guess, it's better if we drop the subject," Remus said. 

_ : Harry, link with me first. I don't want you to drop your mindshield without some backup protection. Remus? :_ Fenix whispered silently to the two and they merged first. The rest of the students did as they were instructed and the Fire Master gently reined their minds and interwove them with hers. It was a slow and tedious process at having to teach so many students at once. Professor Lupin 'watched' the entire session in a detached manner, giving careful pointers to Goyle, who kept faltering. Harry was the first to 'capture' her technique since it was similar to her mindshielding technique, and it seemed that Draco was at least as good as The Boy Who Lived. 

It was half past ten when all the students have mastered the skill and she spoke up again. "Since all of you have Magick, you should be able to see the shield with your usual sense of eyesight. Though no shields will be of the same color. So don't worry if you happen to see that a mud color, or moldy green, or gold surrounds you. It purely reflects the personalities of the maker." Harry looked carefully ahead of him, aware that he was covered with a clear, but somehow bluish moving shield. When he looked at Ron, he was not able to see if a shield covered his friend or not. 

"Look to your friends now," Fenix instructed. They looked at their friends and fellow students. "So… you could still see your shield. But could you see your friends'?" Heads were shaking all around. "This comes under the element of surprise. There is certainly no point advertising to your enemy that you're shielded. We have to use whatever means necessary to get us out of a tight spot, even if it means trickery." 

Some of the students now were watching her with respect rather than curiosity or disdain. Professor Lupin nodded satisfactorily at his students and swapped stands with Fenix. He spoke in a very soft but clear voice. 

"Now, this shield of yours depends on the mind that is controlling it. It is totally up to you if you want to make it thicker-- if someone is flinging a Death curse that is what I would advise you to do. If you don't want the shield, just think hard that you don't need it anymore," Professor Lupin informed them and Hermione raised her hand again. 

"Yes, Miss Granger?" 

"Does that mean we can't do any spells when we're protected by the shield?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide with excitement.   
  
"Good question. Fenix?" Professor Lupin looked at his partner for an answer. 

"No, you could still fling spells out. Its primary objective was to prevent anything coming to you. It would not interfere with your spellcasting," she replied with a faint smile. 

"Somehow this reminded me during the time when you, Sirius and Professor Snape fought off M--" Harry quickly clasped Ron's mouth before the red-haired Weasley could finish his sentence. Fenix arched an eyebrow at the two boys, making them flush with embarrassment and nodded unmistakably. She conferred with her lover silently and Professor Lupin smiled brightly at them. 

"I want you to go back to your dormitory and leave your books, then go on down to the Hall. We'll be meeting you there," Professor Lupin told them as he opened the door for Fenix. "And don't forget your wands!" he called out, leaving the door open. 

"This is going to be great!" Hermione squealed happily as the students packed their notes and quills back in their bags. All of them got out of the classroom, Harry pausing just a moment to close the door behind Malfoy and hurried on to catch up with his friends as they headed up to the Gryffindor Tower. 

"What color is your shield?" Parvati Patil asked Hermione in an odd voice and Hermione grinned widely at her. 

"It's light cyan! Such a nice color!" Hermione turned her winsome smile at Ron who just stared at her dreamily. "What about you, Ron? And you, Harry?" 

"Copper," Ron answered absently; his eyes still focused on Hermione's lovely smile. "You know… I am so glad Krum didn't get you, Hermione." The bushy-haired girl's face turned a lovely pink, tittered nervously, and turned to look at Harry. 

"Cerulean, I think… it's light blue." They came up to the Fat Lady and Seamus whispered the password. The portrait swung open and the students hurriedly went up to their dormitory to keep their bags. They rushed down again, Harry paused for a moment to check for his wand before bounding into the common room and went off again. The Fat Lady was muttering off some complaints but was largely ignored by the students. 

They reached the ground floor at exactly the same moment that Malfoy and his gang arrived. He was looking very sullen, and Hermione struggled not to smile as the Gryffindors watched Malfoy being herded by Dina Free and the Bloody Baron. Harry glanced at the doors of the Hall and saw a large notice was attached on one side of the door. _That's Fenix's style…_ Huge Italics were scribbled onto a parchment: HALL IS IN USE FOR DEFENCE LESSON UNTIL LUNCHTIME! PLEASE KEEP OUT & THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION! 

Harry pushed the door slowly and confidently strode forward when he saw the Defence teachers waiting for them. The door closed by itself and they heard it locked. The Hall was empty of tables or any kind of furniture. 

"What are we going to do now?" Ron asked curiously. 

"Practical lesson of course, but do take off your shields for the moment," Professor Lupin answered as the students gathered round. He gave a puzzled look at the Bloody Baron who was standing off at one corner, curiously imitating the way Fenix had been watching the students in class. 

"Choose your partners!" Fenix's voice rang out and the students quickly paired off except for one. Fenix trailed her finger lazily across her right palm and sighed. "Oh well… Mr. Malfoy, you will pair up with me." Fenix walked over to Malfoy, who was secretly grinning inside because he was much, much taller than she was. 

"All right! Spread out people! And don't worry about missing your aim! Miss Maxwell had created a fairly sturdy shield that shouldn't cause any accidents on the windows!" Professor Lupin shouted. He waited for several moments and spoke up again when Fenix gave him a silent confirmation. "Miss Maxwell has created shields separating each pair! So don't hold back! Now, first spell that would be extremely useful! Disarming Charm!" 

Fenix conjured a respectable-looking wand and Remus gave her a curious glance. She smiled mysteriously at him briefly before turning her attention to Malfoy. "This is what you will do, Mr. Malfoy. You will try to disarm me…but at the same time, you will have to dodge these fireballs. Is that clear?" Two brightly burning orange fireballs hovered over her shoulders and Malfoy gulped. "Don't let yourself get distracted by the other students." 

Professor Lupin took out his pocket watch and called out. "You will practise the Disarming Charm for fifteen minutes! And when I give the whistle, you will practise your Stunning! So other than practicing these spells, you would also do some physical exercise! Don't get hit by a Stunning Charm! There's no cushions to break your fall!" he gave a last minute warning before shouting, "Begin!" 

********* 

**Exactly thirty minutes later…**

Except for Professor Lupin, the students and at least one teacher was drenched in sticky sweat-- and several bruises. Malfoy was secretly relieved that Fenix had played fair enough by not shielding herself. She had done a lot of physical exercise by having to dodge Malfoy's Stunning Charms and was hit twice but recovered quickly enough. To his horror and surprise, the fireballs did not burn when he was not quick enough to evade them; rather they had bruised his arms just as badly at falling on the floor. 

"Well, that's it for today!" Professor Lupin said cheerfully as Fenix tiredly took down all the shields and did some stretches before she mildly hinted that they might offend someone during lunch if they did not go and wash up. She watched the students dragged their feet tiredly and heard the door unlocking itself before they slowly walked out of the Hall. 

_ : Fancy stuff, :_ Remus said slyly. 

_ : Damnation! I don't think I could walk up the stairs! :_ Fenix groaned as she did a little jog to loosen up her muscles. 

"Well, you did volunteered…" Remus said mischievously and she shot him a disgruntled look as she walked out, also intending to get a bath. 

_ : Maybe you'll be lucky that our next class in the afternoon will have even numbers of students! : _Remus tried to coax her. She just gave a snort and he continued, watching her stare at the notice as the parchment disappeared. _: But I have to say that your method with Malfoy was not a bad thing, :_ he informed her as he watched her hips gently sway as they walked up the stairs. _Get a grip, werewolf!_ He thought to himself but could not help smiling. 

_ : That's what I did with Harry back at The Burrow, : _Fenix replied and gave a sigh as they reached the landing that would lead to her office. Fenix and the werewolf had forgotten about the Bloody Baron. He glided upwards, his face bearing an almost gentle smile and disappeared. 

********** 

**Lunch at the Hall…**

"Was it bad?" Ginny asked her brother as she noticed a red bump on his temple. 

Ron shook his head as he hungrily chewed his pizza. All around them were murmurs of conversations, as the students talked about their experiences in class, the people that had caught their eye and other things. 

"I loved the look on Malfoy's face when that fireball hit him dead center in his chest," Harry said casually, but he was grinning widely at Neville who nodded furiously. "Fenix did trained me that way once. Of course, her fireballs weren't really burning," he added hastily at Hermione's shocked expression. 

"Hello Harry," Luna suddenly appeared and sat herself beside a puzzled Neville. 

"Er… hi…" Harry replied back. "How's summer?" 

"All right… glad that your godfather made it," Luna said rather abruptly. 

"Yeah…" he answered uncertainly and gave Hermione a glance, but she shrugged. 

"But it looks as if her fireballs _did_ something, right?" Seamus said and nudged Harry, pointing his chin at the table where Malfoy was seated. Harry focused his eyes at a simpering Parkinson who was making sympathetic noises as she examined Malfoy's bruised arms. 

Hermione gave a derisive snort and turned her attention to her meal as she muttered, "Disgusting…" and made vomiting noises. Someone, probably Parkinson, Crabbe, or Goyle had fetched Professor Snape. 

"What is the fuss about, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape asked dispassionately. 

"Look at what the Defence teachers did to his arms, Professor!" Parkinson exclaimed, whimpering a little. Snape frowned and inspected Malfoy's arms as if concerned. 

"What were you doing?" Snape asked as he straightened his back and Malfoy then told Snape about the practice with fireballs. 

"Is this true, Miss Granger?" Snape called out, not turning to look at the Gryffindor table. Hermione said an affirmative with confidence and they all stared at the Slytherins in trepidation and anxiousness. 

"Well…well…well. It seems that the Defence teachers are up to their standard," Snape drawled and Malfoy's group stared at their favorite teacher with astonishment. "I don't see anything wrong, Mr. Malfoy. She is doing her job that has been given to her. Now, unless it is a total emergency, please do not interrupt me further from my work, Miss Parkinson." Snape drew his robes about him and walked gracefully out of the Hall. 

"Gods, how disgusting!" Ginny made a face and turned to look at Malfoy with absolute loathing. "He's such a baby!" 

"Poor charming, darling, little white ferret," Luna Lovegood spoke out rather loudly. "He is so feeling very mistreated this morning… but I'm sure that some girl's going to cheer him up!" 

"Provided that_ she _doesn't try to smother him with her endless chatter and mothering," Hermione mumbled and their table broke up into laughter. 

********** 

  



	34. For The Very First Time

  
***************   
** Chapter 34**   
***************

**Getting to Potions…**

It was time for the sixth-years to head out from the greenhouse. Professor Sprout had engaged them in major gardening work, and as they worked, she had briefed them on the plants and vines they would be taking care all the way throughout their sixth year. The students found that they had to practice their utmost caution as they harvested the berries of the _Magnolia Projectivilien_. The vine did not like that the students were denuding it of its colorful berries and had a tendency to loose microscopic needles out into the air, which could cause severe irritation if inhaled, or inflammation if it impacted on exposed skin. 

"So, to avoid getting damaged, I want each group to appoint one student who will be responsible in applying some pressure around the central system. Wear gloves mind you!" She had said. Harry's group looked at the vine uneasily. Its central part consisted of several evil-looking sharp needles where a sticky green liquid oozed slowly out. Their gloves needed to be changed very often, as Harry had noticed that the green liquid was strangely eating the fabric of the gloves. 

The sixth-years, all hot and sweaty, were quickly making their way towards the castle. Ron was suppressing himself not to scratch at his face. Professor Sprout had assured him that the microscopic needles would dissolve gradually and had just given him a lotion to apply on his face. 

"Do you think we'll have time to wash up?" Ron groaned, trying not to think about his itching face as they began to jog towards the castle. 

"It's only two-fifteen. How much time do you reckon we need to bathe?" Hermione panted. "I am glad that Professor Sprout let us off early! It's practical for Potions today and I don't think even I could concentrate, being as sweaty and huffy as I am now!" 

"I think you're exaggerating, Hermione," Dean spoke up. "God! Finally!" The Gryffindors gave a sigh of relief when they reached the great doors of the castle. Neville caught up with them with great difficulty, panting heavily. 

"I think I've had enough of physical exercise," Neville groaned and looked ruefully at the staircases. Hermione pulled the tired boy along and proceeded into the Gryffindor Tower. The students impatiently waited at the portrait, as they need several moments to wake the dozing Fat Lady. 

"Bloody portrait! Wake up!" Ron yelled and the Fat Lady jerked her head up in surprise. 

"It's you people again! Password?" The Fat Lady grumbled and Ron told her the password. They all scrambled in, dropping their bags all over the common room as they dashed upstairs to wash themselves for the second time since their lessons began. Hermione was the first to descend down into the common room. She looked around for her bag and hooked it onto her back and tapped her foot impatiently for her friends. She looked down at her pocket watch and showed sixteen minutes to three. _Hurry up!_

Harry's hair was still dripping wet when he came down, followed by Ron and the rest of their classmates. Hermione handed Ron's his bag and turned to look at Harry curiously when he gasped. Harry had blanched when he felt something hot over his head and instantly the heat was gone. 

"What the bloody hell happened?" Ron demanded, as Harry's hair dried up and was combed down neatly. 

"It probably was Fenix's helpers," Hermione shrugged and ushered them quickly out of the their common room. They had at least ten minutes to make their way down to the dungeons without having to fear at being late. They walked at a fast pace, but not fast enough to make them pant with exertion again. 

While they were on their way down to the dungeons, they bumped into Sirius who were taking the twelve first-years to the Transfiguration classroom. Harry and his godfather exchanged winks before Harry disappeared down the narrow staircase leading to the dungeons. Their footsteps echoed eerily along the passage and they passed Snape's office to go directly into their Potions classroom. Snape was nowhere to be seen. Malfoy was standing at a corner of the room, looking at the Gryffindors with undisguised hatred. 

Harry looked around for his bodyguards but they were nowhere to be seen except for Dina and her partner. Harry gave a sudden frown at Malfoy. _There's no need to get violent… Guess his followers couldn't make it for Advanced Potions. Dare I hope?_ Harry mused and sat at his usual place, giving an inquiring glance at Ron whom snorted. 

"Settle down, people!" Snape's silky voice emerged from the entrance of the dungeon, closing the door as he swept into the classroom. The Potions Master took a moment to absently tuck his long hair back and looked around the silent classroom lazily. "I am very amazed that you got through your OWL, Longbottom. However, I am not so sure of my decision of letting you come back to my class. So… I have weeded out the hopeless incompetents of this subject, though I must say that the number of my own students who got through this subject with spectacular results were nonetheless…disappointing," He eyed Malfoy impassively as he sat carefully on his desk. The silence that had filled the classroom somehow felt oppressive and Harry fiddled with his quill uneasily. 

"We shall begin our lesson now… get ready to take down some notes," Snape hinted and he gave a flick of his wand at the blackboard. "You will all be learning to make Vigilencia." Hermione stared at the Potions Master with sick recognition and Snape gave her a very faint smile that seemed almost sympathetic. "Making this potion is an extremely tedious process-- you could gauge how resigned Miss Granger looked. But first," Snape stood up and sat behind his desk, clasping his arms together and leaned forward. "I want someone to tell me what the consumers expect from this concoction," Snape looked about for volunteers, ignoring Hermione who had raised her hand inevitably. 

It was a shock to almost everyone when Harry actually raised his hand. Phrases almost seemed to leap in his Harry's mind as he remembered the spidery writing of the Potions book. "Yes, Potter," Snape leaned back, arching his right eyebrow. 

Harry spoke softly but his voice was clear enough to be heard in the dungeon. "Vigilencia is a stimulant for both physicality and mentality. So one of its major functions when consumed is to enable the consumer to…" Harry faltered, narrowing his eyes a little as he struggled to phrase his sentence. "It enables the consumer to remain alert for prolonged periods." 

"Hmmmm…" was all Snape answered and he stared intensely at Harry. "And…what other…benefits does this potion have, Potter?" 

Malfoy found the behavior of his favorite teacher slightly alarming. He was thinking about voicing out his observation when his adversary spoke up again, to answer the Potions Master's question. 

"It also helps to improve short and long term memory, and is able to provide the consumer with extra energy and quickens reflexes of the consumer." Harry's voice trailed off and went back to fiddling with his quill as he stared blankly over Snape's head. 

_: Truly amazing. I did not expect you to remember that passage clearly. : _Snape's scratchy mindvoice-- that was tinged with sarcasm-- spoke deeply into Harry's mind. Harry stared at the Potions Master. 

_: Am I being praised? : _Harry answered back just as sardonically. He heard a derisive snort echoed in his mind as Snape withdrew his link from Harry. 

"Shocking… Those are the unique properties of Vigilencia. Other than what Potter had mentioned, when used in tincture form, it acts as a sedative. There are other properties and functions-- you will do a research on what some of the compounds--" Snape jerked his head at the blackboard, "as your homework, and to be submitted next Monday." The Potions Master stood up and walked about the classroom slowly as he continued his briefing. 

"The potion making is divided into three parts, meaning that this potion-making session would at least expand over the next two weeks or so--" Snape quickly snatched the paper rose from Justin that he had tried to pass to his girlfriend. He did not do anything to it. He just kept walking about the classroom, occasionally peering down over their notes and stopped at Neville. "You missed the primary feather of the golden hawk, Longbottom." 

"I will not tolerate any sloppy work--or note-taking for that matter… This batch of Vigilencia you will be making will find its way down to the drug market, and to the School, mind you. I do not really have to explain why," Snape gave a penetrating look at his students. "Assuming all of you are not as ignorant as you look," he said as an afterthought. He walked about the room for several minutes more until the students had finished copying the materials and methods that had been written at the blackboard. He walked back to Justin Linklater and handed back the paper rose with a suggestive look. "You will begin with the first part now. And individual work." Snape said firmly, giving a sidelong look at Hermione and Neville as he opened the store cupboard. 

Snape went back to his desk and resumed his research on the antiseptic potion and stayed out of the students' hair for about fifteen minutes before he stood up and began his inspection. Malfoy as always, passed Snape's inspection without any comments. Smoke was rising up in great billows from Ron's cauldron and he stared at it in resignation, waiting for Snape to give his usual repelling comments. 

"Too much liquid and too hot, Weasley. _Evanesco_. Redo." Snape said briskly and continued making his rounds. Harry held his breath when Snape paused over his cauldron and the Potions Master sniffed experimentally at the smoke. 

_: Good enough. Follow the next instruction carefully, Potter. You do not want to blow up the entire dungeon. :_ Snape said softly as he went over to inspect Neville's cauldron. Harry took the moment to whisper that information to Ron who whispered to Hermione. She just gave him a patronizing look before whispering the same thing to Seamus and Dean. 

After one hour of stirring the cauldron, Harry's hand was shaking a little as he carefully measured the exact amount of Yellow Vetch. He passed the bottle to Ron and slowly, while stirring the contents of the cauldron in one hand, poured the liquid gently into the cauldron. A strange sweet smell wafted up from his cauldron, and Snape immediately went over to check. Snape instructed Harry to transfer some of the liquid into a clear flask while he went in search for something in the storage cupboard. 

Harry looked around, ignoring Malfoy's malignant stare and was a bit surprised when he realized that he was the first to finish. _Don't tell me that I've made a mistake somewhere…_ His thought evaporated when Snape returned, holding a jar with slimy, silver contents. He uncapped the bottle and placed a drop of the silver-like substance into Harry's concoction. Snape instructed Harry to mix the contents and the boy did as instructed, mixing it three times clockwise, then three times anti-clockwise. Harry's milky concoction was slowly turning into a clear solution and he looked to the Potions Master for an explanation. Snape nodded, his approval barely showing. He ordered Harry to keep the remaining concoction in the silver flask that had suddenly appeared on Harry's desk. Harry studied the flask carefully and noted that his initials were engraved in the body and the cap of the flask. Fastidiously, Harry transferred most of the solution into the flask, taking care not to spill any onto his exposed hand. _Who knows if any of the compounds can cause any kind of allergy?_

As Harry was doing all of this, the others were slowly finishing, their cauldrons giving the same kind of sweet smell after the addition of the Yellow Vetch. Snape cleared his throat and instructed the rest to place a small fraction of their potion into a clear flask and repeated the small procedure to their samples. 

"Impossible," Malfoy muttered to himself, staring at Harry who placed the flask on an unoccupied space on Snape's desk. 

"Did you say something, Malfoy?" Snape asked absently, gazing intently on Neville's flask as the boy swirled the mixture anxiously. 

"Nothing, Professor." Malfoy mumbled. 

Harry breathed a smile of relief and grinned when Ron gave a look, _'Bloody hell! I don't believe it!'_ and Harry answered with a cheerful look, _'I don't believe it either!'_. Neville gave an explosive sigh when Snape gave a nod and Neville turned to fill his potion into the silver flask that had been provided. Harry meanwhile cleaned his cauldron with a flick of his wand and waited for Snape to dismiss the class. 

"Now, homework. I want you to write down the properties and functions of the Yellow Vetch and the most important ingredient, the berries of_ Magnolia Projectivilien_. Must be at least fourteen inches and handed in by Monday. Class dismissed." 

Dina gave a wave and the Gryffindors waved cheerfully as they separated, the Slytherins going to their Tower as the Gryffindors took the staircase up. The Entrance Hall was filled with students that had finished the class early and some were groaning in disappointment as they found the Great Hall locked. Harry gave an inward smile when he caught sight of Fenix's large notice. Neville was feeling a little bewildered after the Potions class and hung back to speak to Harry. 

"What happened to Snape?" Neville asked curiously, his voice thick with astonishment. "What did Fenix do to him?" 

Harry clasped his friend's shoulder in assurance. "We don't really know. But Snape's a tolerant enough fellow ever since he mixed around with our group. Maybe he's influenced by her." 

Neville blinked his eyes, the bewilderment still strong inside him. "It's the very first time that I've made a potion right, right from the beginning!" Harry gave a hearty laugh at Neville's feeling of accomplishment, his heart feeling lighter than days past. 

"And Malfoy is certainly smelling something fishy," Ron added, giving a mischievous smile. "I wonder how Sirius is getting used to his responsibilities." 

"We'll ask him during supper, if he's joining us. I think Alicia wants to see us right now. Quidditch practice, no doubt," Harry said, scratching the scar on his arm lightly. Ron gave a nod and the Fat Lady gave a sigh of resentment, asking Ron for the password with a very bored voice. 

*************   



	35. Foreshadow

****

~ Chapter 35: Foreshadow ~ 

  
**Fenix's office…**

Fenix was doing a mental calculation as she dried her hair. _I had better warn Remus that the full moon is this Wednesday. _The Fire Master thought back at her day's work. Things had gone rather well with the classes. However, there was a shadow of doubt when she thought back on the instant Draco Malfoy had stepped over the threshold of the Defense classroom in the morning. The feeling of premonitions weighed heavily on her heart now. She tried taking deep breaths but the more she thought about the Slytherin prefect, the more intense her sense of foreboding became. 

  
_ : Fenix? : _Silver asked worriedly. 

  
"It's nothing, Silv. At least I hope it's nothing," Fenix gave a small sigh and began combing her hair. She was wearing a simple white blouse and a long skirt tonight, suddenly overwhelmed by the need to dress up. 

  
_ : You saw something in the youngster, didn't you? :_ Wind hazarded and Fenix winced at her bondmate's observation. 

  
_ : I… yes… I did see something else, rather than the boy…that was inside the boy. And it fled the moment I used Empathy and my Magick to scare the boy witless. I had wanted a clearer look. :_ The Fire Master quickly pulled her hair into a tight ponytail and stared mutely at the dark landscape at the window. She stepped forward and flung the window open, smelling the scent of fresh autumn air. She tried to distract herself by listening to the songs of the Trees and the Greater Nymphs, but the feeling was embedded too deeply in her heart. 

  
_ : Fenix? Are you ready? :_ Sirius's mindvoice penetrated her awareness. 

  
_ : Yeah, I am, : _she answered, shutting the window close, then turned to the wolves._ : Are you coming down with me? Maybe you could check out Draco, if nothing else. :_

  
_ : We'll do that. :_ Silver padded outside to her office and waited for her to open the door. Fenix did not bother putting on a cheerful expression because Sirius had already felt her sense of melancholy. She was suddenly hugged by her oathbrother as soon as she opened the door. Fenix chuckled softly and returned his hug. 

  
"What's the occasion, oathsib?" Fenix whispered with her face buried in his chest. 

  
"None whatsoever, sister. Just felt that you needed a bit of cheering up," Sirius kissed her lightly on top of her head. Fenix held him tightly, trying to control the sense of terror that had suddenly gripped her heart. 

  
_ : Thank you, brother-mine. Shall we go? :_ Fenix pulled away from his embrace and followed the wolves slowly. Sirius stared at her back, frowning a little with worry. He quickened his steps so that he was walking by her side, winking at the Nearly Headless Nick who was roaming about the castle. 

  
_ : Wind, is she all right? :_ Sirius asked the female wolf, trotting down the steps gracefully, tail wagging from side to side. 

  
_ : I'm not really sure, Sirius. Her sense of Foresight is troubling her deeply, :_ the wolf said helpfully, finally reaching the Entrance Hall. 

  
Fenix managed to muster a smile when Lee waved at her and headed straight for Harry's group. She sighed gratefully when she saw that an important person had already joined the group. The Hall was not as rowdy as it had been yesterday and was not as crowded. This was to be expected, since she realized that the students might be well exhausted after their lessons and decided to retire to bed early. 

  
"Hello guys," Fenix greeted them informally, and Ginny made space for the Fire Master so she could sit beside Remus. 

  
_ : Hello lover… : _Remus whispered gently. 

  
_ : Hi… :_ Fenix gave him a little smile before taking some French fries and filled her plate. 

  
_ : Still feeling uneasy? :_ He asked, looking deeply into her eyes. She nodded before she started eating. 

  
_ : How was Potions? :_ Fenix asked Harry lightly, who was eating heartily on pasta. 

  
_ : It wasn't a disaster, :_ Harry replied, giving her a quizzical look. Fenix smiled crookedly as she sipped on her mango juice. Conversation suddenly erupted earnestly from the table and she looked at them in amusement. None of them were blabbering about how well their Potions lesson well, probably because they might offend the Potions Master, was having dinner with them. Instead, Ron and Harry were talking about Quidditch excitedly. 

  
"Are you still a Seeker?" Fenix questioned and gave a thumbs-up when Harry smiled. Fenix was shortly distracted when she felt claws slowly dug into her back. _: Okay, you have got my attention. What's up? :_ Fenix answered quickly and narrowed her eyes slightly when Wind told her that there was something out of place in the Slytherin Prefect, but could not find the source. The Fire Master swore silently. Harry noticed her slightly gloomy mood, and diverted all the conversation away from her. He felt that she was thinking deeply about something, as she was picking on her dinner rather than eating it. Harry bombarded Sirius with questions about how his classes went to fill in her silence. 

  
_ : Sev? :_ Fenix asked softly, and Snape looked at her in curiosity, frozen in between bites. The Potions Master was definitely feeling weird when he realized that the Fire Master had actually given him a nick, and was using it as though second nature. 

  
_ : What? :_ Snape asked briskly. 

  
_ : Keep an eye on Draco. No-- :_ Fenix quickly stopped Snape from asking questions. _: Please. Just watch him. :_

  
Fenix pushed the plate away from her, sustaining herself with a lot of mango juice for the moment. They were all distracted when a flock of post-owls raced over their heads. However, much to the Weasleys' surprise, there was nothing for them. That made Ginny bit her lip with anxiety. 

  
"Silly lass," an unmistakable voice of the Sylph they all knew spoke up. A pile of letters suddenly appeared out of midair, surprising Neville completely. "And this is for you, Fire Master." An envelope floated toward Fenix and she smiled. 

  
"Is this from my sis?" Fenix asked the voice in the air. 

  
"It is." 

  
Fenix raised an eyebrow at Arenii and she reached out to grab hold of the letter. Sirius and Remus had gotten several envelopes, presumably from their friends in the workforce. Hermione had gotten a very thick envelope from her parents and gave an excited squeal when a handful of photographs fell out of the envelope onto her lap. Ginny and Ron were very much relieved that their family was all right and Ron struggled not to laugh as they read the letter that was written by Mrs. Weasley. 

  
"What are those?" Fenix pointed with her chin at the pile of Muggle photographs on the table. 

  
"They're the photos that we had taken back at The Burrow," Hermione replied with a smile, as she showed Neville the photographs. 

  
"I had forgotten about them," Fenix answered as she looked down to read her letter. "Was_ he_ with us?" She questioned Hermione mischievously, as she scanned her sister's letter. 

  
"_He_ was… there were several snapshots of _him_ that you had taken for me, you know." Hermione giggled, as she examined each photo carefully, her giggling becoming more hysterical after each photo. 

  
"Then, I think you had better smuggle those to me first. _He_ might feel scandalized, if _he_ sees them," Fenix said, smiling as Giselle confirmed that she was well on her way to her fourth month of pregnancy and that Mineif had seen to their handfasting. Hermione gave her some of the photographs, giving a very fierce look at Remus who was innocently reaching out for it. Fenix absently took the photos and read her letter's last paragraph. It was much more serious and she frowned slightly when Aldren wrote to her saying that there was a major influx of Dementors and Death Eaters on an island, and that the group parted the next day of the congregation, and had gone in several different directions. She stared intensely at the letter before passing it to her oathbrother. She focused her attention on the photographs and chuckled. The first photograph was of Snape, combing his hair when he thought no one was in the living room. 

  
There was another snapshot of Snape. He was scowling fiercely at the camera, and Fenix remembered that it had been _she_ who took it. She laughed soundlessly and quickly handed the photographs of Snape back to Hermione, and laughed again. A photo image of Snape lingered in her mind; it was a photograph after Harry had told the Potions Master what the device was and Fenix was cursed with a series of the most colorful language that she was ever subjected to. 

  
_ : Why are you laughing so hard? :_ Remus asked curiously as he handed her the rest of Hermione's photos. 

  
_ : Nothing, lover… : _Fenix wiped her tearful eyes and examined the rest of the photos. She gave an exclamation of surprise when she saw the photographs of her on the Ice Dagger, chasing after Sirius merrily. "Hermione, did you record this part on the digi-cam?" Hermione gave a nod and the Fire Master whistled. "No wonder the image of the photo is good," she commented.

  
Snape stopped eating. The Potions Master was looking at Hermione and Fenix with suspicious eyes. There was an unsettling feeling in his stomach when bushy-haired Hermione started giggling maniacally again. _Snap shots…photographs… Dear Lord!_ Snape stared at Hermione in horror as he realized what the girl was holding. 

  
"Oh dear…" Fenix gave a nervous smile at the stunned Potions Master, sitting very rigidly in his seat. 

  
"Damn you!" Snape hissed angrily at the Fire Master and Fenix flinched as she Felt the Potions Master's annoyance. Everyone was looking at Snape in amazement, but he ignored their attention. "You will hand those over to me, Miss Granger." Snape commanded. 

  
"You're joking," Hermione said flatly, calmly keeping Snape's photographs back into the envelope. 

  
"Twenty points f--" Snape fumed but stopped when Hermione passed the envelope to Fenix, who took it. _: You will give them to me. :_ Snape demanded, his mindvoice coloring black as his anger passed through the link. 

  
_ : After all the time I had spent sneaking up on you to get them? I think not. :_ Fenix said impassively and abruptly wished the people on the table a goodnight. Fenix paused for a moment to stare at Malfoy thoughtfully before she left the Hall, with the wolves sauntering lazily after her. Snape stared at her in amazement and leaned back, trying to decide what to do. 

  
"Are you just going to sit there and let her have her way?" Sirius gave Snape a patronizing look. 

  
"Shut up." Snape threw his napkin on the table and marched off after Fenix. Sirius winked at Harry, who was watching the entire incident with a bemused smile. Remus however, was frowning at the entrance of the door. 

  
"Don't get yourself worked up, Moony. Snape's not under the bachelor category anymore," Sirius whispered. 

  
"What makes you say that?" 

  
"That mark Fenix gave him had bonded them together. Just like me and her." Sirius reassured his friend and continued eating his dinner. 

**********

Fenix was smiling to herself in her bedroom with Snape's photographs laid out on the bed. A_t least now I have something to distract me…_ She mused as she stared at the photographs. _Would I dream about the future again tonight?_ Someone knocked on her office door and she smiled wickedly when Krill informed her that it was Snape, clearly intending to get his photographs back. She heard the office door opened and clicked softly as it closed. Fenix quickly took some of her favorites and tucked it under her pillow, waiting calmly for Snape to open her bedroom door. 

  
Snape confidently opened it and stepped into the bedroom, his eyes flashing dangerously at her. Fenix had to smile at his boldness. "Well, you're brave enough to come into the bedroom. Of course it wouldn't occur to you that I might be properly dressed for bed?" 

  
Snape snorted. "If you had been improperly dressed, I'm pretty sure that your bedroom door would be locked." He pointed out and advanced towards the bed, his eyes taking note of the photographs that had been neatly arranged on the bed. The wolves took the opportunity to get out of the bedroom and Krill pushed the door close. With a flick of Snape's wand, all the photographs rose up in the air and shuffled itself neatly. The stack of photographs gently landed on Snape's palm and he began to scrutinize every photograph carefully. His beaked nose dented a little as he frowned. 

  
"Where are the others?" Snape demanded coldly. 

  
"I'm keeping them. You either take those and let me have the remaining photos. Or we could fight and you'll end up giving me all of them," Fenix said rather stubbornly. "I swear that I would cheat." 

Snape gave her a chilly smile and muttered, "_Accio_ photos!" The photographs that had been hidden were quickly zipping through the air but stopped several inches short when Fenix cast a shield to prevent their escape or Snape reaching them. 

**********

The two best friends paused over Fenix's bedroom and exchanged a glance when they clearly heard Snape's harsh voice muttering curses and jinxes and heard some of the spells impacted on something. 

  
"Well Padfoot. It seems like the kids are enjoying themselves." Moony stared at the office door. 

  
"Yeah, you're right Moony. But they ought to finish whatever they are doing soon, before the other teachers get too curious and decide to investigate." Padfoot agreed and they went on walking to their own quarters. 

**********

"Don't be selfish, Severus," Fenix persuaded the unrelenting Potions Master. However, Snape had no intentions of giving up the fight and she gave up, feigning a disappointed sigh as she watched the remaining photographs zoomed off toward him. He gave a crooked smile at the defeated woman. 

  
Fenix got up from the bed, giving a look of total disappointment at him. Then flippantly said to him as she opened a drawer. "I don't really need those for souvenirs anyway. The real stuff is much better," she gave a very sly smile at Snape and gave an exclamation when she held out a clear sketch of Snape playing Reversi with Harry back at Sirius's house. "I have _tons_ of these…" she flaunted the sketch at an unbelieving Potions Master. 

  
Snape suddenly sat on the bed in exhaustion. "Devilish little girl…" He grated and Fenix gave a silvery laugh, sounding so much like the Sylphs. She kept the sketch back into the drawer and smiled fondly at the Potions Master. 

  
"You better go and get some sleep, Severus," Fenix said as she stood before him. 

  
"You really are a cheat," Snape shook his head in disbelief. 

  
"I'm about ready to collapse right now," Fenix bit her lip and crawled onto her bed in exhaustion. The wolves reentered the room, both leaping up and curled around Fenix. Snape gave a long sigh and smiled faintly at the small woman. 

__

: Then you ought to have a good rest. And I'll see you in the morn. : Snape replied and looked quizzically at her as she crawled forward. He looked at the top of her head in surprise as the woman gave him a hug. The wolves were looking enigmatically at the Potions Master and waited for Severus to make his move. The simple feeling of comfort that Fenix gave him amazed Snape. He moved his arms to embrace her uncertainly, wincing at his own awkward movements. The Potions master closed his eyes and rested his cheek on her head. 

**********

****

A sleeping Fire Master… 

  
Fenix found herself in a very dark corridor. Even in her dreams, she was aware that it was a damp area, and smelled a bit moldy. There was a certain feeling of the dream that made her pay attention to the details of the area carefully. Her gift of Foresight was manifesting again. She heard murmurs of voices and she wandered along the corridor carefully, trying to pinpoint the source of the voices. 

  
_ "You will do …my son…soon…must die…leave…cr…" _The voices spoke in broken sentences and Fenix felt frustration gnawing on her consciousness. Then she was in the middle of a very crowded passageway. The students were milling about her, going about their business probably to their classroom. Somewhere further up the crowd she saw Draco Malfoy walking stiffly toward her. Her vision abruptly faded and she sat up on the bed, body drenched heavily in sweat. 

  
_ Damnation!_ Fenix got out of bed, leaving the sleeping wolves and got out to her office. She softly closed the bedroom door behind her and created a dim mage-light. She looked at the clock and fumed when it showed six-fifteen in the morning. _The vision was too damn vague! So what is it? And I don't get the connection of the vision in that area that I think was the dungeon to the one with the students! Damn it!_ Fenix stopped pacing and controlled her temper quickly. _I have to tell Remus about this and ask him what he thinks is happening. One thing is for sure though. Draco Malfoy is involved somehow…_Fenix sighed and made her way to her bathroom to wash. 

**********


	36. Subtle Allusions

****

~ Chapter 36: Subtle Allusions ~

  
**Friday, 8th September. Fenix's bedroom…**

Fenix woke up to a series of bell-like sounds that rang about her room. She sat up tiredly and massaged her aching shoulders. She looked at the wall clock and crawled out of bed. _The next time I go patrolling in the Forest, I'm not going to wear any goddamn cloak_, she thought resolutely. She walked slowly into her bathroom and washed her face. Fenix had gone on a night-till-dawn patrol with the Potions Master yesterday. They had a too-close encounter with Bane and his band of centaurs. The two adults got out of the Forest intact when morning arrived, but had suffered several deep scratches as the centaurs loosened a wave of arrows blindly into the Forest. Other than that, occasionally passing unicorns and several other things that Fenix couldn't identify-- not that she wanted to-- it was quite a calm night. Fenix's visions still bothered her and Remus advised her to be ready for the unexpected. Fenix gave a small sigh and changed into her Hunter gear, while the Elementals braided her hair tightly.

Remus knocked on the office door and entered when it opened. "Fenix?"

"I'm inside!" Fenix called out and he poked his head warily into the bedroom. His face lighted up in a loving smile as he waited for the Elementals to finish styling the Fire Master's hair.

"Are you going to supervise their Quidditch practice now?" Remus stepped forward to her and gave her a very tight hug, squeezing the breath out of her.

"Yeah…Remus…I can't…breathe."

__

: You're so small, lover. : Remus kissed her lightly on her lips. Fenix made a face at him and looked at him worriedly.

"Do I have to bring the broom along?" Fenix asked uncertainly and he gave a light chuckle as he nodded. They spent several minutes just holding each other before Remus let her go regretfully.

__

: I have to go and get something to eat before I go on my patrol. : His mindvoice brushed her mind lightly and she gave him a grin.

__

: Okay then. Have a good dinner. Be careful, Remus. : Fenix answered, smiling brightly at him.

**********

Harry rode his Firebolt around half of the pitch, looking dubiously at the group of Slytherins. The air had a certain chill to it and Harry was glad that he had worn his cloak to keep him warm. He climbed higher into the air. He was still keeping a close eye on the Slytherins who were all huddled around Professor Snape then abruptly diving down towards Ron and Dean, who were looking at the Greenies warily.

"Feeling edgy, aren't we?" Harry commented, squinting his eyes down below and smiled in relief as he saw the small, lithe form of the Fire Master. She stepped onto her broom and glided up toward the stand where Hermione and Neville were seated, watching the pitch in anticipation. Fenix spent several minutes with Hermione before flying off to meet the Gryffindor players. She nodded to Dean and Seamus, who will be Beaters, and gave Harry and the Weasleys a grin. Alicia and her Chaser, Katie Bell had just arrived and soared upwards. She gave the two new arrivals a friendly nod and zoomed off toward the Slytherins.

Snape was giving his students very severe warnings and had finished just as Fenix reached the group. Malfoy blinked in surprise when he saw Fenix giving him a very thoughtful expression just before Snape dived down to release the Bludgers and the Quaffle. The Potions Master handed the Quaffle to her and she duplicated it before giving the Slytherins the original Quaffle.

"I have jinxed the Bludgers," Snape informed her and she nodded. One round Bludger followed Fenix almost like a dog and she raised an eyebrow at the Potions Master.

__

: The spell will disengage in four hours, which is more than they got to practice, : Snape explained, as he left the pitch to let his students practice.

Fenix flew to the opposite side of the pitch and aimed the Quaffle to Alicia. "Are you guys ready to do some fancy flying?" Fenix yelled out, and the players arranged themselves around the pitch. "You guys will practice on your own for an hour or so, then you people will have a friendly match against the Slytherins! Any objections to that?"

"No!" they answered back and she sent the Bludger on its way to bludgeon the players.

**********

It was six-thirty in the evening, with the Slytherins ahead of the Gryffindors by two points. Harry was racing high up in the pitch, chasing after a lightning-fast Snitch feverishly. Fenix's heart almost jumped up in her throat when Harry recklessly dived toward the ground, clearly intent to get the Snitch, even if it meant that he would suffer broken bones.

"Does he always do that, Hermione?" Fenix asked worriedly as she watched a Quidditch game played by two teams.

"Almost all the time…" Hermione had turned her attention on Montague, passing the Quaffle to Warrington. The latter aimed for the loops but Ron saved it, and Harry ducked in time to prevent himself from getting a concussion by a speeding Quaffle. Ginny deftly caught the Quaffle in her arms and passed it to Alicia. The Captain had to shake off the much bigger Montague who was tailing her dangerously. Seeing no other choice, she dropped the Quaffle to Katie and the Chaser scored a goal. In all of the action by the Chasers, the Gryffindor Beaters were really getting a workout as they prevented the Bludgers from coming close to their teammates.

Somehow later in the game, Ginny had lost control of her broom and Fenix sped off and managed to slow the girl down before she hit the stands. The Slytherin Beaters took the opportunity to aim a flying Bludger at Ron. Fenix felt Ron's pain as the boy spiraled downwards, knocked unconscious by the pain.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled, abandoning her seat and quickly rushed down to the pitch.

Fenix hastily created a net to catch the falling, oblivious Weasley and sped toward the unconscious Ron. Harry was filled with anger and was contemplating whether he should jinx the Beaters when the Snitch suddenly appeared within sight and Harry grabbed it. It was an easy catch and he gripped the Snitch tightly in his hands as he quickly dismounted from his Firebolt. They were lucky that Ron only suffered minor injuries or Fenix was likely to get violent herself. She Healed Ron on the spot and meanwhile, Snape instructed Malfoy to get a stretcher to transport the now awakened, and winded Weasley to the hospital wing. Fenix was very icy all the way as they neared to the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey waiting anxiously to inspect the Weasley.

"Seriously…I'm all right…" Ron protested feebly.

"Nonsense," Fenix muttered and warned the Gryffindor prefect. "Never try to argue with the healer."

"I think we both can get along just fine," Madam Pomfrey replied absently as she ushered Ron to a hospital bed, Hermione anxiously tailing behind the nurse.

The moment Fenix and Snape stepped out of the wing, they began an intense discussion privately using mindspeech and she finally turned to stare at the Slytherins calmly.

"If you people can't keep practicing without trying to sabotage the other, I'm afraid we'll have to split the three-hour constraint. So while the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws are happily and fruitfully using their three-hours of practice _harmoniously_, these two teams will suffer from lack of practice during the Quidditch games," Fenix rattled off, staring at each of the students impassively. "So what is it going to be people? For Merlin's sake, you're all schoolmates!" She stared disgustedly at them. The group of Slytherin players mumbled an apology to Snape, Fenix and the Gryffindors before sending Montague off to the hospital wing to apologize to Ron on their behalf. "And they had better not take that apology back," Fenix said grimly and Snape smiled faintly at the diminutive, commanding woman. "What?" The Fire Master shot a penetrating look at Harry who was looking at her in amusement.

"Nothing…" Harry put on an innocent expression. He casually opened his palm and the Snitch hovered above his palm, golden wings flickering like a hummingbird in flight.

"Gryffindor wins the friendly match," Fenix said flatly and went off into the hospital wing, leaving Snape to take care of his students and making sure that the Snitch was kept back in its place.

"Follow me back to the pitch, Potter." Snape turned round, picking up his broom and Fenix's, and marched off toward the Quidditch pitch. Dean and Seamus took upon themselves to prevent any more mischief from the Slytherins by following Harry.

**********

****

Saturday, 9th September. Early morning…

Fenix paced restlessly in her office, anxiously waiting for Remus to get back from his patrol. She was not really able to get much sleep last night. Her dreams were frequently haunted by the scary encounter of the centaurs and shadows that flitted in and out of the huge trees of the Forest. She felt Remus's unmistakable presence at the back of her mind and quickly opened her door.

The werewolf gave a small smile at her as he stepped into the office and chuckled when Fenix hugged him, carefully holding his tender waist. She instructed him to get a bath and then she would see to his injuries.

__

: I seriously think it was a bad idea to have McGonagall traipsing about the Forest trying to do a job meant for professional scouts. It's rather absurd actually. The Forest is much a rougher terrain at night since we could not even patrol with any kind of lights, : Remus spoke to her lightly as he bathed. Fenix quirked up a smile as she got out a robe for him to use. The silent bedroom was occasionally filled with the soft purring of her wolves.

__

: Is she all right? : Fenix asked dimming the mage-lights a little, since the room began brightening with sunlight.

__

: What--oh-- McGonagall? She's all right except for spraining her ankle a little. I wonder why the centaurs are being so provocative. : Remus waved a hand through the bathroom door and Fenix handed him the robe.

__

: Maybe it's because they don't really like the fact that, Firenze is helping Dumbledore. I don't really know much about their social taboos but Firenze seems to get along quite fine with the students here, : she replied, sitting over the edge of the bed, and faced the window. Birds flew past and a hummingbird hovered outside the window before flying off again.

Remus got out of the bathroom, toweling his damp hair vigorously and sat next to Fenix, feeling refreshed after the bath. A Salamander passed the werewolf a hairbrush and he began combing his hair.

__

: I could really do with a massage, : Remus said almost wistfully and the Fire Master gave him a sidelong look.

__

: Okay, then. Why don't you get comfortable on the bed? : she suggested, her eyes twinkling mischievously with the morning sun. Remus gave her a boyish grin and did as she had proposed.

**********

****

In the library…

Harry and his friends were going down to the library to try to finish up their Charms and Potions homework. They met a couple of their fellow schoolmates along the way and Luna Lovegood attached herself to Ginny, discussing deeply about their Defense homework. Conversations died as they entered the library, and went straight for the study tables. To their surprise, they found the Potions Master and the Fire Master seated on a table, totally engrossed in their reading.

Harry turned to look at Hermione and she shrugged, making her way round to the Fire Master. "Can we join you?" the girl whispered and Fenix nodded absently. She stopped reading for a moment to stack up the books that she had already read, creating some space for the students.

Harry sat next to Fenix, facing Ginny who had already begun to leaf through the pages of her copy of _Defensive Spells_ as she sat down. The Fire Master seemed to behave almost as if she was a student herself, making notes and several drawings of a plant, labeling it meticulously. The Potions Master whispered to her occasionally, and she listened attentively as her hand scribbled down his narrative. Half an hour passed in silence when Harry suddenly gasped and it turned into a cough. Ron patted his Harry's back in concern.

"You all right, mate?"

Harry nodded and Ron looked curiously at his friend's blushing face. Harry whispered dubiously. "Ron, do you think this information should be written down for the Potions essay?" He jabbed his finger on a passage from the book of _A List of Stimulants_. The red-haired Weasley read the passage about the berries of the _Magnolia Projectivilien_ and about ten minutes later, the Gryffindor prefect's face burned, turning into the color of his infamous red hair.

"Found something interesting?" Fenix's curiosity perked up, as she felt the boys' deep-set embarrassment. She looked up from her book and massaged her neck slowly. The boys kept silent, not even looking at the Fire Master or Hermione, who was looking at her friends with dry amusement. "I think I smell something incredibly fishy…" Fenix said softly and quickly grabbed the book Ron was holding. Her eyes quickly scanned the contents and absently fought off Harry's attempts to retrieve the book.

Within the first paragraph, Fenix was able to determine why the youngsters looked totally embarrassed. It seemed that the berries, which have the most recommendable properties of a good stimulant to enhance alertness, and stabilizing the physical, mental and emotional sides of the human-- if used in combination with other herbs like the Yellow Vetch. However, if the berries were consumed on its own, it will have a tendency to stimulate the physical desires of human beings. The Fire Master almost laughed at the detailed information of the passage.

She gave a crooked smile at the two youngsters, who looked back at her nervously. "I think you guys ought to include it in your essay. But in a more…ah…condensed form." Her eyes glinted wickedly as Harry exchanged an incredulous look with Ron. "What are you guys making anyway?"

"Vigilencia," Hermione whispered absently, feverishly writing down on her parchment.

Fenix gave a sidelong look at the oblivious Potions Master. "From the sound of it, it sounds like you guys are making a concoction to promote vigilance." Fenix leaned back on her chair, watching Snape lazily, who seemed to be ignorant of the whispered discussion. _: Give your eyes a rest, Sev. The words will still keep blurring even if you force your pupil to focus, : _she said cheerfully then watched the boys gravely. "You people better prepare the potion carefully, all right? You don't want to be responsible for promoting…hmmmm…_accidents_, do you?"

"Professor Snape?" Ron piped out and the Potions Master gave the red-haired Weasley an inquiring look. Ron gulped, his face still flaming hotly. He turned to the Potions Master and asked softly, "How would we know if the Vigilencia gives out the desired results?"

"You test it," Snape answered calmly, and stared at the boys with interest, unconsciously following Fenix's suggestion.

"We know that," Ron said almost impatiently, "but how?"

"You will drink a portion of your sample," Snape answered, giving Ron an amused look as if he could not believe that he had to state the obvious.

"What?" Harry yelped out and several 'shushes' were heard from all around the study corner.

"Bloody hell…" Ron cursed, tiredly rubbing his eyes.

"Stop being such a naive teenage boy, Ron." Hermione gave a sly smile at her partner before continuing her essay. "You do know that we'll come across things like_ that _sooner or later."

Fenix winked at the girl and returned Harry his book. The youngster took it back rather sullenly. He gave a sigh of resignation and flipped the pages to find the passage again. He read it carefully once more, and determinedly blocked off his un-boyish thoughts that sprang out suddenly. He spent the next several minutes to find the words that would summarize the whole passage as blandly as possible. He had the feeling that not even Snape would want an explicit write-up. _God, just state the facts! But I can't find the words to! I know!_ Harry took his notebook to begin his draft.

__

: Fenix, can you help me? : Harry asked imploringly.

__

: She may not, : Snape answered severely and Harry cursed himself for not switching into private mode.

"Hermione, do you have any idea if this library has a copy of a dictionary?" Harry leaned forward as he whispered to his friend. Hermione simulated a thoughtful expression, then imperiously pointed her quill at a particular bookshelf not far from the table. Harry muttered a soft 'thanks' before he briskly moved off.

Fenix had resumed her reading by the time Harry had found a dictionary he was comfortable with and sat down, trying to find milder definition of some important words from the passage. Twenty minutes later, Fenix closed her book and gave a long sigh. She turned a new page of her notebook and began to create references of the books that she had been studying. Hermione had already finished her Potions homework and was giving herself a treat by reading a book while her two friends were still struggling over their essay.

The Fire Master decided to treat herself too. She gathered all her books and placed them neatly on a trolley before returning to her table and conjured up her sketch nook and several sets of pencils. Snape turned to stare at her for a moment and then ignored her. She began to draw happily, giving the paper some random strokes and an image suddenly took place. Harry inspected his essay carefully and nodded with satisfaction, getting up to place the dictionary back into its proper place. He happened to glance at Fenix's drawing and suddenly leaned over her shoulder.

__

: You must be getting fonder of him, : Harry said teasingly as he found himself staring at a sketch of Professor Lupin, whose pair of eyes was almost twinkling. _: You're good. :_ Harry's mindvoice was tinged with wonder as he studied the sketch's right side and saw the Professor in his werewolf form, and the intelligence in that particular form really showed.

__

: Thank you. : Fenix looked up to give him a shy smile._ : His wolf-form is rather charming, don't you think? :_

: I don't know. Women look differently on people for some reason. : Harry shrugged and Fenix shook her head in mock disappointment. _: Well, it's true, isn't it? :_

Fenix sighed and showed her sketch to Hermione who whispered in amazement. "Wicked…" 

The Fire Master gave the girl a sidelong look. _: Seems like I'm not the only one getting fonder of one's partner, : _she observed, studying her sketch of Remus with a peculiar smile on her face.

**********

****

Later that night…

Fenix was having trouble getting to sleep. Again. She kept tossing about the bed and finally sat up, swearing silently. She got out of bed and made a pallet for the wolves, advising them to sleep on it rather than on the bed.

__

: I don't want to trouble you guys any further, : Fenix said tiredly, her irritation surfacing in her mindvoice. The wolves nodded and curled themselves on the makeshift bed. Winky appeared suddenly, holding a glass of warm milk in her hand, looking at the Fire Master sympathetically

"You shouldn't trouble yourself this late, Winky." She nonetheless accepted the glass of milk gratefully and drank it all down in a single gulp.

"Winky is not troubled at all, Miss Maxwell," the house-elf said diffidently, smiling at the Fire Master kindly. She took hold of the glass and Fenix murmured a 'thank you'. The house-elf disappeared instantly.

Fenix crawled back onto the bed and sat cross-legged on its center. She began meditating, to calm herself and finally felt that she was ready for bed. The meditation did help in making her sleep, but it did not give way to pleasant dreams. Fenix wandered aimlessly in her dream, only aware that she was searching for something in her dreams. She felt a moment of vexation when she had the feeling that she was searching for several someone. Her dreams drifted back to the original setting of her visions. She was back in the dungeon and walked carefully in the dark corridor. There was a sudden scream and Fenix woke up. Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest, and her throat was dry. She gathered her wits back and propped herself up on her elbows, reaching a thought to her chief Elemental.

__

: Krill? :

: Yes, Fenix? :

: Did anyone just scream? : She asked anxiously. _: Or was it just in my dream? :_

Krill took several moments to confer with his kind and his co-Elementals and answered that she was dreaming. Fenix nodded her head to herself, and lied down, staring at the ceiling with a sense of helplessness._ That was a bit unnerving. I've never dreamed someone screaming my surname and then my name before._ Fenix fought off the sudden chill that suddenly broke over her body. _It sounded like a boy, whose voice was already broken but it did not sound like it was Harry._ She remained awake for most of the night, thinking deeply about a lot of things. A sudden idea struck her mind suddenly. She summoned her Sylph immediately.

__

: Aelwyn, would you help me pass this message to Cadriel? I want him to charter the movement of every Death Eater or Dementor they come across or spying on. Cathal will know what to do, and the Elves will probably get my idea straightaway, : Fenix said urgently. It was after this conversation with her Elementals that she managed to fall into a dreamless sleep.

**********


	37. Be On Your Guard

****

~ Chapter 37: Be On Your Guard ~   


****

Thursday, 14th September. Early afternoon…

Days passed without any incidents and that made the Fire Master more edgy than ever. She was marking the sixth-years mini-quiz papers in silence. She finally looked up from Malfoy's paper when a thought crossed her mind. _This is really funny. I've never worked without at least listening to some kind of music. Well…let's think about some songs then._ 'Nobody's Listening' by Linkin Park was playing in her mind and she smiled to herself, singing the song's chorus quietly. _This theme actually suits the part of Harry trying to warn the wizard community._

Fenix smiled to herself and carried on marking Malfoy's paper, her feet tapping to the rhythm to the music in her head. No matter how notorious Malfoy was in his social etiquette, Fenix was glad that he took his schoolwork seriously. _At least he is paying attention to us during classes…_ She happily wrote an eighty-five percent at the top right-hand corner of his paper and Goyle's paper came next. She winced when she had finished marking the first page of the quiz. _I wonder if peer tutoring might help this guy…_ She let out a resigned sigh and counted the number of right answers that Goyle had managed to get. Grimacing, she wrote thirty percent on his paper. 

Her marking session carried on for about an hour and she took a break, massaging her cramped fingers. _Never knew it could be this tiring… The last time I had finger cramps this bad was during the time I took Literature during O' Levels. Even completing Proteomics exam paper was not as tiring. _She began sorting out the papers of the sixth-years from the fifth-years, tying each batch with a piece of yellow ribbon. Someone knocked on her office door and Sirius came in with a tray of snacks for her. 

__

: Hello sister. What have you been doing? : Sirius closed the door with a kick of his heel. 

__

: Marking some test papers, : she replied happily. Her oathbrother raised an eyebrow as he placed the tray down on her desk and dragged a spare chair over and flopped down unceremoniously. 

__

: You guys are quick. : 

__

: Remus insisted on giving the seniors the test. Your patrol was quiet, wasn't it? : She remarked as she popped a tiny custard puff in her mouth. Winky appeared with a hot pot of tea and vanished as suddenly as she had appeared. Sirius poured both their cups and leaned back on his chair, blowing his tea slowly. There was no doubt in his expression that her oathbrother was worried. 

__

: Dumbledore's intelligence wasn't able to get much information on Voldemort's plans. And things have just been too quiet lately, I wonder if it's just an illusion. : 

__

: I agree, bro. The elves had plotted a chart of the minions' whereabouts and monitored their activities. Cathal mentioned that they're still building up on their resources and isn't likely to move for sometime. : 

__

: What resources? : Sirius sat up straighter. 

__

: They're pulling Muggles together. I just received this news yesterday and have already informed the Headmaster, : Fenix replied solemnly, as she toyed with a lock of her hair. 

__

: God help us if he's getting Muggle weaponry. : Her oathbrother stared at her, his shock coming in waves on their bond. Fenix nodded her head in agreement. 

__

: There are no evidence whatsoever that they're getting firearms. If that happens, the Mages will have no choice but to interfere. So far, Voldemort's people are just snatching homeless people to be used for sacrificial purposes. : Fenix felt sick just thinking about the possibility of students being hit by the Muggle weapons. 

__

: Why is he doing that? : Her oathbrother asked, frowning. _: And what do you mean by sacrificial purposes? :_

__

: A form of black magic, oathsib. He's killing them for their life energy to make him more powerful. In other words, he is harvesting power. : 

__

: Dear Lord! : Sirius exclaimed, too shocked to even curse. The office became silent as the two adults brooded. Fenix turned her thoughts inward, assessing her feelings and sense of intuition. A dark mood was lingering in her and she tried to bring it to the fore to try to examine it. _Meditate…I think I have to do that before I meet Severus for an early dinner…_ There was another knock on the door, and the wolves followed by Remus came into the room. 

Fenix looked archly at the wolves that panted and lapped at their bowl of cool water gratefully. "What on earth have you guys been doing?" and she almost laughed at her bondmates haggard state. The wolves ignored her as they gulped the water thirstily and Fenix looked at Remus for an explanation. 

"Believe it or not. These guys decided to engage themselves to chase Hermione all about the Grounds," Remus said, conjuring up a cup and helping himself to the pot of tea. 

"What in heaven for?" she looked incredulously at the wolves. 

"They want to toughen her up… or so they say," Remus said slyly, ignoring Silver's growl. 

***********

Fenix knocked on Snape's door and he admitted her in for the appointed dinner. Fenix sat down gingerly and eyed the Potions Master appreciatively. The moment Snape took a seat; dishes appeared on the desk. They ate their dinner in silence and she suddenly smiled as she took a bite of her desert. 

__

: You should try to dress like this more often, : Fenix complimented him. Snape was dressed simply in black trousers and a black shirt with tight wristbands. After their previous encounter, he had found the way she had dressed much more convenient. She had been able to move much more stealthily and was able to make a much easier retreat than he did. However, dressing in normal clothing meant that they would suffer from the bitter chill of autumn._ : You look much more approachable, : _she happily commented. 

__

: Are you making fun of me? : Snape said in an unfriendly tone. 

Fenix gave him a baffled look._ : Why would I? :_

They finished their dinner in a short time and Fenix excused herself to wash. She met Snape at the corridor about ten minutes later. It was six-twenty in the evening and she walked slowly towards the Potions Master. The wolves had attached themselves to Sirius and Remus for tonight as well as keeping an eye on the students for as long as she went on her patrol. 

__

: I bet that the girls would look dreamily at you when they see you, : she said impudently and he snorted, not believing her prediction. Fenix smiled inwardly at his own stubbornness. They walked unhurriedly down to the Entrance Hall and Snape managed to hide his surprise when a group of Hufflepuff girls stared at him, unable to believe the rare sight. Fenix slowed and was careful not to grin openly, but she did give the girls a broad wink. They giggled girlishly and Snape turned to give the lagging Fire Master a suspicious look. She just gave him a daring look and turned her attention to her surroundings as they made their way towards the entrance of the castle. 

**********

****

The Slytherin Common Room… 

Draco Malfoy was tiredly listening to his girlfriend prattle about the Miss Superhuman, Miss Know-it-all, and Mr. Telling-the-truth. He was not exactly feeling well but felt that it was stupid to go to Madam Pomfrey since he did not know what was wrong with him. _She's been repeating those sentences for the past five days,_ Malfoy thought disgustedly. 

"Hey, Pansy," Montague stepped in, feeling a little nervous when Malfoy's eyes began to narrow in annoyance. The girl gave a confused look at him, but quickly shut her mouth when the Quidditch captain gave her a stern look. Malfoy took a deep breath and stared deeply at the fire that was burning in the fireplace. The flickering of the flames seemed strangely hypnotic and he felt himself growing detached again. 

"Draco?" Montague looked at him suspiciously. 

"What?" the Slytherin Prefect answered, scowling darkly at the Quidditch captain. He was unaware of a dark presence seething in frustration, as Malfoy's intent concentration on the flames was broken. 

"Let's go and have our dinner. I feel a bit cooped up in here." 

Malfoy gave a moment to reconsider it and finally nodded, motioning Montague with a look to take Parkinson with him. The rest stepped out of the common room, leaving the Slytherin prefect to follow them. However, Malfoy did not move. He was staring into the flames again. A sense of languor filled him and to his horror, a part of his mind shut off completely. The feeling was not new to him. He had been experiencing this ever since before the starting of summer. He had complained to his mother but she ignored him, persistently telling him that he was fine. He felt himself moving off from his seat to join his friends. _What's happening?_ A small part of him wailed in horror and felt himself strangled by an alien presence. Malfoy moved stiffly about the common room, reaching out for a hidden object behind a fallen book and tucked it safely in his school robe. 

**********

****

Out in the Forbidden Forest… 

Snape had his wand out. The patrol had separated, putting their advantage of mindspeech to the maximum. Fenix had moved off to a northeast direction while Snape went straight east. The Elementals had warned the two that there was human activity in the Forest, but could not get a closer look. The unidentified humans--maybe wizards--had created a shield that would stun even an Elemental. Fenix was grateful to the gods that the Elementals were born intelligent. 

__

: Sev, : Fenix called out softly and he sent a brief thought to assure her that he was all right. _: Where are you? :_

__

: I'm several meters away from the shield, : Snape answered easily. The Potions Master was using his past experience as a Death Eater to scout along the ground effortlessly. 

__

: That's good. I'm already in position-- : Fenix broke off suddenly when she felt the taint of the Dark Lord._ : Sev, can you see their faces? :_

It was a moment before he answered her, and his thoughts were punctuated by several vulgarities. The two scouts relied on the trees for cover and they blended perfectly in the Forest with their dark clothing, crouching motionlessly to watch the activities of the Death Eaters. 

**********

****

In the castle. Nearly nine in the evening... 

Harry was on his way back to his dormitory when he found the corridor bustled with students, all whispering softly. Harry caught side of a familiar figure and whispered to Alamanda. "What's happened?" 

"Someone fainted up ahead. Got scared off by the notorious Peeves. What I don't understand is why they're blocking the way when that fainted someone had probably been taken to the hospital wing," she answered, looking at the crowding students with distaste. 

Harry looked at the Slytherin junior with surprise. It seemed that she had actually grown mature ever since school started. He heard Hermione's commanding voice ushering the students to go back to their respective dormitories. He was aware that a familiar head with pale hair was approaching him but he had nowhere to move when an influx of students crowded in behind him. He felt intense pain on his arm but ignored it as he was finally free of the crowd and caught up with the hoarse-voice Hermione. 

"Phew… I thought it would take forever to un-crowd the corridor," Hermione panted and made way to a glassy-eyed Malfoy. She stared at him in bafflement then gave a penetrating look at Harry. 

"Harry hasn't done anything to him," Alamanda piped up. "Malfoy's been like that since this evening." 

Harry scowled at Malfoy's figure. _He certainly isn't behaving like himself lately._ He scratched his right arm lightly and frowned. His arrow scar had completely healed but beside it was a diagonal angry-looking scratch. _Probably caused by some girl with a long fingernail, just now. _Harry shrugged it off and joined Hermione to walk back to their Tower together. 

**********

****

Down in the dungeons… 

Malfoy cowered in his own mind. He was being dominated by something other than himself and he did not like it when he had actually slashed Potter slightly with the small dagger he had found in the corridor. He tried to muster the strength to stop moving but that same presence suppressed his will. 

His body was sweating. _I have to do something. Am I under a curse? It's Potter's fault!_ However, reason made it clear that he had already been cursed before that train ride. _I was having those spells even before summer started, but it sort of died when the OWLs came._ He saw Professor Lupin walking towards him with the bigger wolf trotting sedately beside him. 

He felt his hand groped for the small dagger and gripped it firmly. _No…not the Professor! _Malfoy was desperate. He tried to scream but was not able to even speak. _Miss Maxwell…wait! She can hear my thoughts!_

*********

Fenix frowned at the illegal gathering. _It seems like they're waiting for something,_ she fretted and collapsed on her knees when a loud scream rang in her head. 

__

"Miss Maxwell!" 

Fenix blinked her misty eyes several times and felt bile rising up to her throat._ : Sev! : _She sent out a desperate thought to the Potions Master urgently. Her thought was interrupted by a frantic Wind. 

__

: Fenix! I want you and Snape out of the Forest now! Get to the castle! : The female wolf commanded. 

__

: You heard her. Let's go, : Snape said grimly and moved out silently. Fenix joined him at an intersection and fled soundlessly, their instincts as Hunters taking over their bodies. She felt desperation tearing her heart. 

__

: Sev… Remus is hurt… and a student too! : She whispered and Snape sent her a comforting thought. But Snape himself was worried. They bumped into Hagrid who quickly swung his great crossbow but fortunately did not fire when he finally saw who they were. As the three adults ran their way towards the castle, Fenix sent an army of Elementals to surround the Death Eaters back in the Forest. 

Wind was directing her towards the dungeons, past the Potions classroom. Fenix hurriedly sprinted up on the steps of the castle, roughly shouldering a surprised Filch and recklessly went down the steps leading to the dungeons. Professor McGonagall caught sight of a black shadow hurtling at a fast speed and thought that she might have seen Peeves. She stopped when she saw Snape carelessly pushed the caretaker away and disappeared down the narrow staircase. Sensing the alarm that had radiated out from her colleague, she followed. 

Fenix met Wind not far from the Potions classroom. She was supporting her mate, whose one side seemed to be blackened by fire. Professor Lupin was in a much serious pain. He sat slumped against the wall, breathing rather raggedly. 

__

: Lover, don't move. The Elementals have alerted the house-elves and would soon come down with help. You've got several broken ribs, and a cracked collarbone. You dislocated your arm too. : Fenix knelt beside him, carefully checking him with her Sight. She blinked and with her normal sight, she saw Malfoy several feet away from where she was kneeling. "Dear Phoebus," she said softly, quickly going over to the unconscious boy. 

Snape's footfalls echoed along the corridor and stopped when he met the disastrous state of the Defense teacher. He saw Fenix hefting up a head with sleek pale hair and laid it on her lap, her hands resting on the temples. 

"What happened?" Snape knelt down and examined the werewolf's dislocated arm critically. 

"I'm not exactly sure. What I'm sure was, was that I was making my rounds in the dungeon when your student--Malfoy-- came down. He was looking very pale just now, and he had been that way since I saw him at the Hall during dinner. So I approached him to advise him to go and visit Madam Pomfrey when-- _damn you_!" Remus hissed in pain when Snape suddenly jerked on his dislocated arm to set it back properly. A ringing sound echoed loudly inside his head and he felt a little nauseous. McGonagall came down with a solemn Madam Pomfrey with a horde of house-elves equipped with stretchers and various medical kits. Snape made way for the healer, and helped her to remove most of the injured Professor's clothes and wrapped a corset. 

"You were saying?" Snape urged Remus to continue. 

"He suddenly whip out a dagger and flew at me. I nearly hit him with a spell but Silver intercepted it. At first, I didn't understand why the wolf did that but I noticed that Malfoy's movements were getting a little awkward. Malfoy screamed for Fenix-- with his mind-- and I found myself flung back against the wall when something slightly ahead of Malfoy exploded. Could have been the dagger," he recounted and finally lied down on the stretcher. 

Snape gave a brief nod and went over to Fenix who seemed to be in a deep trance. The Potions Master studied the motionless form of the Slytherin Prefect and checked his hands for the dagger. There were no signs of the small weapon on Malfoy and Snape stood up and began checking the ground. Remus was already being carried out of the corridor by the house-elves, with McGonagall trailing worriedly. 

Madam Pomfrey stared at the Fire Master and debated if she should interrupt whatever Fenix was doing. She decided to wait and monitored Malfoy's pulse. Silver was already back up on his feet and was helping the Potions Master to find some remnants of the dagger. Snape suddenly let out a hiss of triumph when he spotted a fracture of a blade. 

__

"Lumos." The tip of his wand lighted up and he inspected the piece carefully, without lifting it. There seemed to be a slight reddish tint that made his skin prickle and he conjured up a small piece of black silk. Without touching the blade, Snape lifted the sliver onto the fabric and wrapped it up instantly for further examination. 

A slight movement from the Fire Master caught his attention and he swiftly went back to her. Fenix slowly withdrew her fingers from the boy and took a deep breath. Madam Pomfrey and Snape looked worriedly at her and she spoke up softly. 

"He'll be all right. He's just in shock. He'll probably be in a coma for a few days until he is ready to face the living." Snape let out a sigh of relief but Madam Pomfrey was frowning a little at the Fire Master's assessment. "Don't worry," Fenix gave an emphatic look at the healer. "He just needs a little time to adjust his attitude a little." Four house-elves came up with a stretcher in hand and Snape lifted the slender youth from Fenix and gently placed the Slytherin prefect on the stretcher. The house-elves automatically started forward to get the boy resting in the hospital wing as soon as possible. Fenix followed them out and was met by the concerned face of her oathbrother. Snape reached out and motioned her to look at the piece of blade under the bright lamps of the Entrance Hall. 

"I saw them taking Remus and then Malfoy to the hospital wing. What happened?" Sirius asked softly, watching his oathsister picking away at the black fabric holding the shattered remains of a dagger. 

"Has anyone fetched Dumbledore?" she asked absently and Sirius answered a yes and told them that the Headmaster was on his way to see Remus. "Oh… let's all go down to the hospital wing then." 

They set off, the wolves walking slowly beside Fenix. She was staring at the blade as she walked and suddenly took a sharp breath. The two men walking ahead of her paused and turned to look at her. "Fenix?" Sirius called her name softly but there was no response from her. Fenix could not answer them either. She was pulled in strongly by her Gift and was now standing somewhere not far from the library. In her mind, she saw herself walking to a corridor filled with whispering students. _The situation wasn't exactly the same as what happened in my vision…_ She felt a little amused that she found herself standing a little taller than most of the students and found herself looking at Alamanda Durz. She bent down to whisper something to the girl and the Slytherin student replied that someone had fainted. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Malfoy walking toward the crowd with a batch of students behind him. She was frozen in the crowd and felt something sting her right arm. She heard Hermione's voice and finally caught up with the exhausted prefect. Fenix watched intently as the bushy-haired Granger made way for a pale-looking Malfoy. Hermione was staring at her with a dubious expression on her face when Alamanda spoke up to tell her that Harry had not caused Malfoy to be in the strange state he was in. 

Fenix snapped out of the self-induced trance, looking at Sirius with a frightened expression. Shakily, Fenix wrapped the piece of blade carefully and handed it to Krill. The small package vanished in an instant and Sirius suddenly shook her shoulders roughly. 

__

: What is it? : Her oathbrother asked forcefully. 

__

: That blade-- : Fenix answered to the four of them._ : It was dabbed with poison. :_

__

: But Remus was untouched, : Snape said, his eyes looked fearfully at her and stepped closer to the slightly trembling Fire Master. 

**********

****

In the Gryffindor common room… 

Harry was lounging on an armchair, reading a book. He was reading so intently that Neville had to raise his voice to catch his attention. "What?" Harry asked with a mystified expression. 

"Harry," Neville began, not looking at Harry. His friend was looking at Hermione with a horrified expression. "You're bleeding." 

Hermione and Ron snapped their heads to look at their friends. They got up and moved closer to Harry. Hermione gasped as she looked at her friend's lower arm. Harry followed her gaze and stared stupidly at his blood soaked shirt. He laughed weakly and said in amazement. "So I am." Blood suddenly drained out of his face, and Ginny screamed at the top of her lungs when Harry suddenly closed his eyes and toppled onto the floor without a sound. 

**********

  



	38. Right On The Edge

**~ Chapter 38: Right on the Edge ~**

  


There was a feeling of tension in the air as the ghosts were set off to watch the castle by the Headmaster. They made way to the five running figures, running at top speed to reach the Gryffindor Tower. While they were on the run, Fenix had explained the situation to her four companions via mindspeech. Sirius's face darkened by the time she had finished explaining. 

_ : Malfoy… : _Her oathbrother whispered in an ominous tone. 

_ : Drop it, bro. The kid's innocent. If it's anyone's fault, it should be mine. I should have tried to watch Draco much carefully, : _Fenix said, panting as she sprinted up the stairs. 

_ : He's innocent? :_ Snape questioned, struggling to catch up with the Fire Master and her oathbrother. _I may have surrounded myself with comforts far too long,_ was his inconsequential thought. 

_ : He was under the control of someone, : _she explained. They saw Harry's best friend, Ron, running towards them. They were near enough to make out some shouts and curses coming from the Gryffindor Tower. 

"Sirius! Harry's hurt!" Ron yelled and Peeves suddenly appeared before the redheaded Weasley. The poltergeist narrowed his eyes and fled off to find the Founders to strengthen the security of Hogwarts. 

"Can we enter the common room?" Fenix inquired and Snape shook his head. 

"You could but I--" 

"That's a whole bloody bunch of crap and you know it!" Ron lashed out suddenly. He turned and rushed back to the common room. Ron was shouting at his fellow students to clear out the common room to admit the teachers inside. Harry was lying on his back on the carpeted floor, with Ginny and Hermione cutting off Hermione's black silk shirt. 

"Did anyone touch Harry's wound?" Fenix asked around. There were several shakes around the room. "Good. Sev?" The Fire Master instructed him to cut off Harry's sleeve and stop the bleeding with piece of fabric that Hermione had prepared. Sirius looked helplessly at his godson. 

_ : Sirius, I want you to try to call him. Get him back to consciousness if you can, :_ Fenix ordered firmly while she knelt down beside Snape and sniffed experimentally at Harry's bleeding arm. She smelled the taint of venom and prayed silently. 

_ : Severus, the blade was laced with snake venom. Neurotoxic. :_ Fenix looked at him, her eyes turning dark.   
  
"Harry's going to be all right, won't he?" Ginny asked in a small voice. 

Fenix looked at the girl calmly. "It's too soon to tell. Sirius, let's get him to Madam Pomfrey." He nodded and her oathbrother gently pushed the stricken Hermione and Snape away from Harry then lifted his limp godson carefully. The Potions Master carefully picked up the blood-soaked fabric, and placed it in the burning fireplace. He quickly shielded the fireplace, preventing the smoke from flowing about the common room. He doubted that the students would appreciate him if the common room reeked of blood. 

Several of Harry's friends made a move to follow Sirius and the Potions Master but she shook her head firmly. "You guys have to remain here. It's a lot safer for you. Dobby?" she called out and the house-elf appeared with eyes brimming with tears. She instructed the sorrowful Dobby, "Some of my Elementals will stay with you to guard the Gryffindor Tower. Don't admit anyone without the password to satisfy the Fat Lady unless I've sent that person. The Elementals will help in screening and scanning anyone that seeks to gain entrance. All right, Dobby?" 

"Dobby will do his best to keep the students safe, Miss Maxwell. Please make Harry better." 

The Gryffindors all looked worried after that. Some went back to their own bedrooms while others, like Ron and Hermione, lingered in the common room to wait for news and to brood. "Hermione, if I don't send you news by ten-thirty, I want you guys to go to bed. You could visit Harry tomorrow afternoon if you want to." Harry's friends nodded and Fenix stepped out of the Gryffindor common room, giving the Fat Lady a little curtsy that the portrait returned. 

The atmosphere in the hospital wing was bleak when Hagrid, McGonagall and Dumbledore saw just whom it was that Sirius was carrying. Madam Pomfrey was still fussing over the Defence teacher, looking around for a moment to see who was occupying another hospital bed and she paled. She muttered some phrases under her breath and feverishly worked on Remus. Snape immediately went over to check on his student, who was laid down on the bed on the werewolf's right. Fenix shook her head when McGonagall offered a mug of hot chocolate and took a chair to sit down beside Harry. Some of the house-elves and her Elementals brought a big basin of clean water and rags. Winky sprayed something on her palms and Fenix rubbed them together before wiping it on a piece of clean cloth. She quickly slipped on the pair of gloves that Winky provided and began to remove the silk that was wrapped around the youngster's arm cautiously. A Salamander took the bloodied piece of silk and vanished to destroy the article. 

The Elementals began cleaning the wound and Fenix nodded to herself when blood still flowed freely from the gash. _So whatever the properties of the venom, it did not cause coagulation of the blood cells._ So while Sirius explained Harry's current situation to Hagrid, Madam Pomfrey, Remus, McGonagall and the Headmaster, Fenix swarm Harry's body with her Healing. She saw the molecules belonging to the venom as bright yellow lines and she slowly degraded those molecules into harmless substances. Her Healing was interrupted for a brief moment when Krill reported that the group of Death Eaters had already departed from the Forest with a great deal of swearing. From the failed attempt on Harry's and her lover's lives, and to the sudden attack from the band of centaurs. The Fire Master related the news to Dumbledore. When she had purified all of the traces of venom did she turn her attention to Heal the gash on Harry's arm. 

"Fenix?" Snape called her name softly and she blinked her blurring eyes. The Potions Master exchanged a significant glance with Dumbledore. 

The Headmaster had a thoughtful look on his face and questioned her bluntly. "Was Voldemort the one who had controlled Draco Malfoy?" 

Fenix remained silent for quite a while. She answered Dumbledore's question after she had given Harry a last scan with her Sight. "It was his father," Fenix said rather tiredly and focused her attention to call out to Harry using her mindspeech. The Headmaster blinked his eyes in surprise at Fenix's answer. Sirius quickly went over to Fenix when she began to frown. 

_ : His mind is a total blank, oathsib, : _Fenix informed him, her mindvoice tight with fear. _: I can't reach him. He seems to be in a total coma. : _ She looked up at her oathbrother, her face indescribable. Sirius looked as if he had just witnessed the end of the world and sat gingerly on the edge of Harry's bed, taking a limp hand and clasped it. The oathsiblings stared wordlessly at the pale and unconscious face. 

********** 

**Friday, 15th September. Breakfast at the Hall…**

Something strange was happening to the Gryffindors. They were a rowdy and cheerful bunch but this morning, all of them looked solemn and whispered among themselves. Students from the other Houses looked at each other, trying to guess what had happened during the night before. A portion of the Slytherins snickered at the Gryffindors but Montague and some of the others seemed to be deeply worried about something. Only Parkinson was acting like her usual self, oblivious to the seriousness of her friends. All eyes were turned to the entrance of the Hall and murmurs erupted when they saw Hermione and Ginny's puffy eyes. Ron, Neville, Dean and Seamus followed slowly behind, all four boys showing signs that they had not been sleeping the previous night. There was one person who was missing from the group. 

Pansy Parkinson stopped her chattering and smiled maliciously at the disheveled state of the two Gryffindor girls. "What's wrong, Granger? Did something happen to your dear friend Potter?" she sneered, almost in imitation of her boyfriend's favorite expression. Hermione stopped and looked belligerently at the Slytherin prefect. The Gryffindor prefect gritted her teeth hard and advanced towards Parkinson. None of her friends intervened and she continued moving forward, her eyes blazing with anger. Ron looked helplessly at his girlfriend who was about to lose her temper. Her hair was standing on end and she pushed Crabbe and Montague apart so that she could lean forward and delivered the Slytherin girl a stinging slap. Hermione was so furious that she had channeled all her anger and strength to that one slap. Parkinson fell off the bench ungracefully, totally shocked at Hermione's bold action. 

"You slapped me?" Parkinson exclaimed in disbelief. Hermione's slap was beginning to leave a nasty imprint on her left cheek. 

"Isn't that obvious?" Hermione yelled, still feeling furious. Montague suddenly stood up and Hermione backed off instantly. The Gryffindors rushed forward to stand behind their prefect, their faces solemn and unfriendly. None of the Slytherins moved. 

"Do you know what's happened to Draco?" Montague asked in a serious voice, looking at Hermione and then Ron. 

"He's in the hospital wing," Fenix's voice rang out clearly and the Gryffindors parted to let her through. The Fire Master stared at the Gryffindors until they retreated to their own table to get on with their breakfast. Hermione was struggling to contain her tears and abruptly stopped staring at Parkinson and headed straight toward her friends. 

"Hospital wing?" Goyle repeated stupidly. Malfoy's friends began to scramble out of their seats but froze when Fenix shook her head. 

"Madam Pomfrey had forbidden any visits this early. Anyway, you guys still have classes," Fenix calmly informed them. "Your friend will be fine." She gave a half-hearted smile at them and turned to approach Ginny and Hermione. The Fire Master sat next to Hermione, giving her silent comfort by placing her arm about the young woman. None of Harry's friends ate their breakfast. They looked up as Sirius accompanied a badly limping Remus and Fenix frowned at them both. 

_ : This is not my idea, sis, : _Sirius quickly defended himself. 

Fenix was silent as Dean moved away from Fenix so that the two newcomers could sit beside her. There were several conclusive nods all around the Hall. They had gathered that there must be another attack on The Boy Who Lived. Their table was eerily silent as the people sitting all around that particular table showed various degrees of melancholia. They started briefly when Hermione suddenly whispered into the silence. 

"How about _him_? He will be all right, won't he?" Fenix stared helplessly at the young woman, clearly at a loss of what to say to the company. 

*********** 

**In the afternoon. After classes…**

Montague knocked on Professor Snape's office in the dungeons and to the captain's relief; the Potions Master was in. Snape had a fire going in the fireplace and looked up at Montague, exhaustion lining the Potions Master's face. 

"What is it?" Snape asked with mild annoyance. 

"Will it be all right if we forgo our Quidditch training session this afternoon?" 

"Why?" 

Montague paused for a moment to choose his words carefully. "There are several reasons. Miss Maxwell seemed terribly tired this morning. Two; I don't think the Gryffindors would be able to function properly. And three; there's a lightning storm." 

Snape leaned back and stayed motionless for a moment to listen. Sure enough, he was able to feel the crackling of energy and the vibrations of thunder that followed. The Potions Master nodded his agreement and Montague made a move to back out. "Is Draco's condition as bad as Harry's, sir?" 

Professor Snape gazed solemnly at his student. "No." Montague nodded and went off to the common room to gather his friends to visit Malfoy. Shortly after the Slytherin captain left his office, there was another knock on his door and Fenix went in. She looked about the same condition as the Fire Master and sat down tiredly on a chair. 

"Have you found anything?" she asked tiredly, though her eyes were hopeful. 

"I'm not sure. The poison was a neurotoxic as you said. I am surprised that Harry did not have difficulty in breathing, because that's usually how it works. It paralyzes the respiratory muscles. What I do not understand is why Harry fell into a coma." 

Fenix rubbed her temple tiredly, feeling a migraine building up because of lack of sleep and overextended use of Healing. "I have asked Hermione. Harry's breathing before we reached the common room yesterday was shallow but he fell into normal breathing when we arrived. So, I have several theories. That brief moment of paralysis might be the cause of his comatose. Another is that the poison on that dagger had already started to deteriorate, making Harry suffer from a mild case of paralysis." 

Snape frowned and began pacing about the office. The office went silent until the Potions Master suddenly exclaimed in horror. "He is not brain-dead!" 

"No, he is not," Fenix answered, suppressing her need to scream in frustration. 

"Gods." Snape stopped pacing and sat restlessly in his chair. "Why don't you get some rest and try not to think too much about Harry or Malfoy. Sometimes answers don't come to us if we're too set on trying to find them." 

"You're right. You better get yourself some rest too." Snape stood up to open the door for the Fire Master. She paused to give him an inquiring look. "There's no Quidditch practice today, right?" Snape nodded and she sighed with relief. 

_ : See you later at dinner… maybe not. The hospital wing then. :_ Snape said and gently smiled at the diminutive woman. 

********** 

**At the hospital wing…**

Hermione and the other Gryffindors relieved Professor Lupin and Sirius from guarding Harry. They all sat quietly around the bed, ignoring Parkinson's whimpers coming from three beds away from their unconscious friend. Malfoy was in a more or less stable state, but he had not regained his consciousness. 

"_He's_ a much better person when he's sleeping, isn't he?" Dean whispered to a forlorn-looking Ginny who nodded in agreement, as she looked at the Slytherins. 

"Maybe someone should ban that harridan from visiting. She's really making me nauseous." Ginny stared at the Slytherin prefect with absolute disgust. _"Yuck."_ Ginny grimaced and Hermione gave the Weasley a faint smile. 

The bushy-haired Granger chuckled lightly and said in a voice almost loud enough for the Slytherins to hear. "I seriously have no idea why Malfoy's going out with her. Maybe when he's awake, someone ought to tell him that he should replace that girl with a girl with guts and brains, and a great deal more _sincere _compassion." Unfortunately for her, Parkinson was too busy getting sentimental to hear her. 

"Hermione, I think you're taking Fenix's acceptance of the Slytherins to the extremes," Ron remarked, smiling at his partner briefly before he continued to look at Harry's pale face with grim concern. 

"Don't be a spoilsport, Ron. Your assessment of our own Potions Master was not that accurate after all. And we're all schoolmates, aren't we? Why can't we all cooperate with each other for once?" Hermione argued weakly. 

"What about Alamanda?" Ginny interrupted suddenly and they all looked at her quizzically. Ron's sister had spoke in normal tones and caught the attention of Montague and Dina Free of the Slytherins. 

"What about her?" Seamus asked. 

"If you had been watching carefully during meals, I dare say that the girl's got a major crush on Malfoy," Ginny explained and Hermione smiled happily for the first time that day, while Montague gave the Gryffindors a measuring stare. 

"Yeah. Every time I see Parkinson cuddling him, her eyes went sort of narrow," the Gryffindor prefect said slowly. Ginny exchanged a very sly smile with the prefect. While the Gryffindors were calmly sitting watch on Harry's bed, tension was building within the Slytherins, mainly between the Quidditch captain and the Slytherin prefect. Montague took a deep breath to prevent himself from exploding in the hospital wing. He bore a look of sufferance as he stared dangerously at the head of a very syrupy Parkinson. However, his annoyance soon evaporated when McGonagall suddenly appeared, her face lighting up when she saw Parkinson. Montague looked strangely relieved when McGonagall called her out, presumably appointing Parkinson with a task. _And hopefully that task will take her the rest of the evening. That Mudblood is right. I don't understand why Draco went out with her. Her behaviour _is_ somewhat disgusting._

The first-years entered the hospital wing silently. Alamanda placed a bouquet of strange lily-colored flowers beside Malfoy's head and then went over to the Gryffindors to place another bouquet on Harry's bed. Alamanda straightened up and looked at Hermione directly. "It's not much, but maybe it'll help them to return to awareness." 

The Gryffindors smiled at her and mumbled thanks. The Slytherin girl went over to her seniors, listening attentively to them. She occasionally gave the oblivious Malfoy several wistful looks and the Gryffindors smothered their amusement. Hermione gazed intensely at Harry and wished that he were up and sitting on the bed, feebly joking with them. Tears silently dropped from her eyes and hit Harry's lifeless fingers. 

********** 

Harry was standing on the edge of a strange place. There was neither sound nor light but he could see everything around him clearly. It was a little weird and he felt strangely alone yet he was not. Behind him was a grove of huge trees, all silent. Just an inch ahead of him, was a dark abyss and he could see a tiny flicker of light below. He wanted very much to be with the light but his wits told him to stay where he was. He had no recollection of how he had ended up here, in this dismal place. He wondered why he was not with his friends, or why he was not in the castle. 

He moved towards a tree and slowly sat down, leaning against the tree trunk. _Something must have happened. But what?_ Harry fretted and stared out at the vast darkness. In other circumstances, he should be afraid at being totally alone in this queer place. There was no other life about him, except for himself and the trees. _God help me. Where in Merlin's world am I?_ Harry beginning to brood and tried to remember all the events that had happened ever since term started. 

He recounted everything right until he reached the time span where he had just headed out of the library for the common room. His mind went blank then and he stood up, feeling very frustrated. _God! Here I am stuck in the middle of god-knows-where and I'm attacked by a bout of amnesia! _Harry carefully walked towards the edge of the cliff. The light was still flickering at the bottom and he had the feeling that he should not even think of getting down to that light. _If it's light…_ He took a deep breath and thought about his godfather and his friends to calm him down. _I know that Sirius, Fenix and probably Snape would be trying to figure something out to save me. Let's start again. It's Thursday and we had Transfigurations so that was why I went to the library to read up on some of what McGonagall had mentioned. Ron and Hermione left first because they had a Prefect meeting and I lingered in the library for a while…_ Harry sat down again at his previous position and calmly thought things through. 

********** 

**Two days later…**

Professor R. J. Lupin was feeling a little unhappy and his best friend decided to be blunt and pester his friend. Sirius knocked on his door and went in without waiting to be invited into the office. Remus looked calmly at his friend and wordlessly conjured Butterbeer for his friend. 

_ : Why are you looking unhappy, Moony? Is it because of Fenix's lack of attention to you? She had been spending a lot of time in the hospital wing, :_ Sirius spoke up, smiling a little when Remus's eyes flared involuntarily. _: Don't give me that look, friend. Why don't you bring her up to that place we used to hang out up above the Tower? And get her to talk. :_

_ : Stop trying to be enigmatic, Padfoot. What are you trying to say? :_ Remus asked, feeling irritated all of a sudden. 

_ : What I'm trying to say is that you're being incredibly, super thick, Moony. You should try being more observant of her looks and body language. Go on and bring her there. : _Sirius got up and pulled the Defence teacher from his seat, and pushed him towards the door._ : By the way, she's in the library with Snape. :_ Sirius looked sadly at his friend and cast his thought to God why he was feeling helpless about Harry. He sighed and went to his own office to brood. 

The Defence teacher walked slowly to the library and was deciding to go back to his room but stopped himself. _Admit it werewolf, you miss that small woman._ He was swearing silently, nodding to the librarian and headed to the study corner where Fenix usually sat. The Fire Master was unaware of him as she continued sketching a picture of Remus and his bandaged arm while Snape gave him a curious look. Remus made sure that he talked to Snape alone. 

_ : Do you mind if I steal her for a while? :_ Remus asked the Potions Master politely. 

Snape gave him a crooked smile. _: You could. Both of us don't have the energy to concentrate to do any kind of research. And I expect that she's thinking about you too much. : _Remus blinked his eyes at Snape's observation. Snape continued,_ : You certainly are a lucky man, werewolf. You have someone who's worried that she can't protect your back all the time. :_

Remus felt stunned at Snape's words. He took a deep breath. _: Fenix? : _The Fire Master stopped her sketching, fingers frozen. She craned her neck up to meet Remus's slightly confused eyes. _: Mind if you take a walk with me? :_

Fenix smiled slowly and nodded. She was about to send an apology to Snape via mindspeech when he slightly shook his head and told her that he wanted to go and visit his students. The Fire Master briskly kept all her sketching stuff in her file and followed her partner as he led her to the top of Gryffindor Tower. 

********** 


	39. A Maze Of Shields

**~ Chapter 39: A Maze of Shields ~**

  


**Monday, 18th September. In Sirius's bedroom…**

Three adults and two wolves reclined on Sirius's king-sized bed, not saying a word to each other. Harry's godfather sighed and with a wave of his wand, the bedroom plunged into darkness. Fenix was snuggling close to Remus as she brooded about Harry. She was less worried about Malfoy because he was already showing signs that he would soon be strutting about the School but Harry was a different matter. 

_ : Damn, : _Fenix swore and Remus held her tighter in his one good arm, nuzzling her neck with his lips. She was careful not to knock anything against tender ribs. _: You guys want to know something? I feel as if I have the answer right in front of my face but I just can't seem to catch it, :_ she grumbled and Sirius fondly gave her a kiss on her forehead. She sighed and stopped thinking for a while. 

_ : I know how you feel. And Merlin knows I'm useless enough. I'm not a Healer like you… : _Her oathbrother's mindvoice trailed off, his depression slowly crept in. 

_ : Don't say things like that, : _Fenix said firmly, giving Sirius a light pinch on his arm. He flinched from the sudden attack. The adults did not speak anymore as exhaustion carried them all away to sleep. 

********** 

**Tuesday, 19th September. Mid-morning…**

It had been nearly six days since the two students had fell unconscious. Fenix slowly walked towards the hospital room with Wind following closely behind her. The Defence teachers had split their teaching schedule since it will be a full moon this evening, and Fenix felt it was wise if she taught the afternoon class today. That would ensure that her partner would not have to worry about his transformation. It would not be the first time he had to change into a werewolf when he had been injured in one way or another and confirmed that the experience was not worth to be experienced again. He had stoically announced, "The hazards of being who I am and pure bad timing I guess." Fenix smiled inwardly at the thought, walking slowly to make her daily visit to the invalid students. 

She was not really expecting to see Malfoy sitting up on his bed with a contemplative expression on his face. He broke off from his thoughts as soon as he was aware of her presence and studied her warily. The Fire Master nodded a greeting to Madam Pomfrey who was holding a cup in her hands, walking briskly over to Malfoy. Fenix went first to Harry and gave him a Mindtouch but there was still no response from Sirius's godson. _Dear Phoebus. Please, let Harry wake up._ She leaned back against the back of her chair, refusing to be defeated so easily. She checked Harry's pulses and breathing and all seemed to be normal. _Except that he is not dreaming. That would be a good sign if it occurs._ She gave a melancholy sigh as she stood up and walked over to Malfoy. 

Madam Pomfrey left the room, leaving Malfoy with the cup. Wind carefully sat herself on Harry's bed to keep watch while Fenix made herself comfortable on a chair and gave the pale-looking Slytherin a sad look. She reached out for something in her pocket and handed it to him. It was a letter from his mother and Fenix felt it was wise not to mention the fact that the same person who had written the letter for Malfoy had sent her a Howler. Fortunately, that had been sent to her early in the morning while she was in the office having breakfast with her fellow colleagues. 

Snape had continuously apologized for having her ears deafened early in the morning. She had just shook her head, looking a little amused at the remains of the Howler. The words that had come out of it were less than polite. She had wondered if Mrs. Malfoy was really worried and innocent as she had sound from the Howler. Sirius was doubtful however, saying that his cousin had a flair for dramatics. She focused her attention back to Malfoy who was looking a little too angry for her taste. She carefully let her skills as an Empath to soothe the boy down and he settled but after he set the letter afire with his mind alone. _That must be his magical specialty. Harry had a knack to make things disappear when he's angry and Sirius told me that he used to break windows. I wonder why he's angry though._

"How are you feeling?" Fenix asked softly, looking intently at the Slytherin, who was grimacing at the taste of the potion that the healer had given him. 

"Hungry," he admitted and she stared at him in surprise. House-elves suddenly appeared and she shook her head when they displayed a variety of foods-- all suitable for one who had not eaten for days._ The house-elves are spoiling him again…_ Fenix smiled gently as the youth finally decided on what looked like chicken porridge to her. He ate slowly; his arms were shaking slightly and his face suddenly took on an ashen color. Fenix lifted her chair to move closer to Malfoy and lightly touched his waist. He flinched at her touch and she used her Sight. As she had suspected, Malfoy had probably landed on his side badly after the dagger exploded. She slowly let her energy flow to Malfoy and at the same time, she recharged herself, being very careful not to overextend the usage of her Gifts. 

The Slytherin prefect stopped trembling and she stopped the flow of energy, and replaced it with the pure green energy of Healing. He had finished eating the bowl of porridge and an unfamiliar house-elf reappeared with a glass of pumpkin juice for him and took the empty bowl. He drank the contents of the glass, gave it to the waiting house-elf, and sat awkwardly on the bed. Her fingers were still on his waist and time passed slowly, and Malfoy blushed involuntarily at the contact. He noticed that he was no longer weary but the need to sleep was still there. He wondered what she was doing to him and looked around the room. 

The Fire Master's wolf was keenly gazing at Harry's pale face and Malfoy stiffened in fear as knowledge surfaced in his mind. He forced himself to look away to stare at Professor Lupin's assistant. He cleared his throat uneasily and asked her a question. 

"How long have I been unconscious?" he asked in a soft, shaky voice that was caused by fear and tiredness. Fenix opened her eyes and retrieved her fingers slowly from him. She stood up and motioned him to lie down on the bed. She took the bouquet of the pale flowers and placed it at the right side of his pillow so she could talk to him face to face. Positioning her chair in a much more suitable position, she sat down, looking at the Slytherin calmly. She was aware that she could not ask the boy too many questions in case she caused the youth to get agitated, which would be a very bad thing for someone who had fallen asleep for days. 

"You have been out for nearly six days… maybe five would be more accurate," she said in a kind tone. Malfoy fell silent. She patiently waited for the youth to speak again. 

"And… how is Potter? Professor Lupin?" Malfoy inquired in a careful tone, his eyes staring blindly at the ceiling. 

"He's stable… but not exactly all right. To your second question, he is all right except for a few broken bones. And the wolf is fine," she answered even before he could ask. 

Malfoy fought with the turmoil that had begun to build up in him and it was swiftly calmed down in an instant. He turned to look suspiciously at her. She smiled gently, her silver eyes growing dark as she thought about what to say to him. "Those of us who need to know, already knows that you were under your father's influence. You have my word that you had unwillingly followed your father's instructions. Though I wished that you had told someone much more reliable about your spells," she said plaintively, "but no point crying over spilt milk." 

"But…" Malfoy spoke doubtfully, "won't-- won't he try to… control me again?" 

Fenix's face took on a determined expression. "Not if I can help it. But I'm in no position to talk like that. I'm pretty sure Severus would settle that… personally. Your Potions Master was pretty damn indignant of the situation," Fenix said lightly. 

"He is not… displease? With me?" Malfoy asked in an uncertain voice. Fenix lifted an eyebrow. 

"Why should he? And Draco," Fenix stood up, looking at him with a mysterious expression. "I'm glad you had made use of your wits to call me using your mind." She suddenly switched to mindspeech. _: I'm a very selfish little person, lad. I've positioned your Potions Master at the right track to life. If something grievous had happened to you, he might revert to stone-hearted Snape again. And I certainly am not going to let my efforts go to a waste. I'm in the middle of a project and it is called Extending Families. Now, you will have your rest and regain your strength back. And I have a suggestion-- two suggestions actually. When you're back up on your feet, ask Professor Snape to train you in Occlumency. Two-- just consider this all right? I think you ought to find someone who really suits you rather than suiting your needs. That's all. Now sleep, :_ Fenix said brightly then her face turned melancholy again. _: At least you had snapped out of your comatose… :_

Fenix gave a soft whistle to Wind, who gracefully jumped from Harry's bed to join her. She gave Malfoy a smile and greeted Hagrid warmly as she headed out of the room. The huge man looked at Malfoy cautiously as he made his way towards Harry's bed. Malfoy gave a small sigh and turned his thoughts inward. One thought played in his mind repeatedly. Just before he fell asleep, he was filled with anguish as he wondered. _Just how much do my parents really care about me?_

********** 

**In Harry's unconscious mind…**

Harry stood up and stared out at the wall of darkness ahead of him. The back of his neck prickled uncomfortably as he instinctive felt that he was being watched by something unfriendly hidden in the blackness. He calmly searched his robe for his wand but came up empty-handed._ It's a good thing I decided to stay on this side rather than going for the light. Now, it's time to use your wits, Harry. If you were a Hunter, who knows that he is being hunted, what would you do?_ He knew with a deep certainty that the grove of trees was his haven and was meant for his use. _I still haven't figure out what had happened._

The feeling of being watched intensified and he thought quickly. _Defence. I don't have my wand with me, so maybe…_ Harry nodded resolutely to himself and fled between the trees. He knew that something out there that had been watching him was making its own moves. _I need to build shields._

Harry halted and laid the flat of his palm on a tree trunk. Somehow, to his immense surprise, he was able to convert a part of life source from the tree into energy. He carefully used it to create an expanded shield, just like the one Fenix had built back at The Burrow. He did not bother to congratulate himself at his success but began moving around the grove in a spiral-like manner. There was a sudden flash of brilliant red light coming from the direction of the wall of darkness and he remained still, becoming one with the tree he was leaning against. 

********** 

**In the late afternoon…**

Hermione, Ginny and her brother never failed to visit Harry whenever they could. Ron had written to the twins about the incident and Fred had complimented his younger siblings on their good sense to write to them instead of their mother. He had complained that Mrs. Weasley would run about the house in hysteria almost once a week, worrying about her children and Harry. Hermione's birthday celebration that day was a little somber without the presence of their best friend, Harry. Ron, with the help of his roommates, had managed to create a crystal figure of an eagle and the results were worth their effort when Hermione actually became speechless when she unwrapped her present. Ron had also bought a silver bracelet for her with the help of his brothers with his own savings. It was then when the twins finally realized that their youngest brother was actually very serious in his courtship with Hermione while Ginny had given her a deep red turtleneck shirt that really went well with her curly hair. 

Hermione paused at the threshold of the hospital wing in plain disbelief when she saw the Slytherin prefect sitting on his bed, calmly eating his dinner. Ron acted as if he had not seen Malfoy and zoomed off straight to Harry. He sat down on a chair, giving his back to Malfoy. The Slytherin prefect was not surprised by the Weasley's action. He just stared straight at the opposite wall and continued eating. Ginny followed her brother, though she did give Malfoy a withering look. Hermione walked slowly, her eyes intent on the Slytherin prefect. 

"Hi," she greeted politely. 

"What do you want,_ Mudblood_?" Malfoy asked perfunctorily. Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously. She took a deep breath and reined her temper. _This is not how I would want to celebrate my birthday,_ she thought resolutely. 

"How are you feeling?" she asked, echoing Fenix's earlier question in the morning. Malfoy gave a curt nod to indicate he was fine and Hermione stared at him in aggravation, walking quickly to Harry's bed. 

"Stop trying to be nice to him, Hermione. He wouldn't appreciate it even if he knows how," Ron spoke up. 

"Shut up," His partner answered, clearly unhappy with the curt reception from the Slytherin prefect. "Harry, if you can hear me," Hermione leaned over and whispered softly into Harry's right ear. "Wake up. If you don't, I swear I won't ever subject anyone my smile. _Ever_," she solemnly vowed and sat down on a chair, and began making a bracelet for her unconscious friend using the dried flowers from Alamanda's bouquet, with her new slim bracelet tinkling musically as she worked. 

********** 

**After dinner…**

The Slytherins were going in groups to look in on Malfoy but Dumbledore would not tolerate any kind of mischief from them. He had instructed the Potions Master and Harry's godfather to stay in the infirmary for as long as Madam Pomfrey remained tolerant of the visiting students. While Sirius stood guard beside Harry's bed, Snape strictly regulated Malfoy's visitors. Pansy Parkinson happened to go in with her group of girls and the Potions Master happily cut their five minute visit to less than two. 

"But Professor!" Parkinson squealed in indignation. 

"Time's up, Miss Parkinson. You better get back to your duty," the Potions Master said in a cool voice. Parkinson walked off sullenly as she childishly pushed Montague off. The captain cursed under his breath and smiled roguishly at his friend. Malfoy returned the grin and looked to Snape. 

"Thank you for that, sir." 

"Thank me for what?" Snape gave him an oblique look. 

"Getting Pansy out of here." 

"She is a prefect after all, Draco. And might I remind you that she has to perform your duties?" the Potions Master cruelly pointed out and Malfoy flinched at Snape's subtle rebuke. Alamanda walked in, accompanied by Dina and Justin, her face glowing when she saw Malfoy. Malfoy stared at the young Slytherin girl for a moment, and flushed slightly when he found the girl severely attractive. 

"Good. Now, only one person is still left to complete the picture," she said seriously and went over to Harry, replacing her bouquet of flowers. She looked curiously at Harry's right wrist and smiled to herself. She gave a small sigh and smiled brightly at Sirius before she went off from the infirmary. Her timing was just right when Madam Pomfrey came in and nodded to Professor Snape. The Potions Master did not have to announce what her nod meant as Montague carefully clasped Malfoy's shoulder and his group went off. Malfoy gave a small moan and lied down, falling asleep almost instantly. 

Snape looked curiously at his student and opened his mouth to ask Madam Pomfrey what was wrong with Malfoy. She had assured him that the reaction was normal. She told him the boy needed some time to get his reserves back into shape. Snape turned to Sirius, who was looking sorrowfully at his godson. _: You ought to get some rest before Fenix comes in and decides to wrap you in chains and drag you onto a bed. Exhausting yourself won't do us any good. :_

_ : Mind your own business, Snivellus. :_ Snape let that pass. He had already given the man a warning. He comfortably sat down on a chair, overlooking Malfoy, a scowling Sirius and pale Harry. He did not even hear Fenix come in to the room but suddenly she was there, staring furiously at her oathbrother. 

_ : Sirius, :_ she started dangerously. _: Come with me. Now. :_

Her oathbrother was about to protest when Remus's mindvoice echoed coolly in their minds. _: Don't argue with us, Padfoot. :_

_ : Sev, :_ Fenix looked at the Potions Master. _: Guard the sleeping ones. I'm going to take this hardheaded oathbrother of mine for dinner and tuck him to bed. :_ Snape nodded slightly and stared in surprise when Fenix grabbed hold of Sirius's hand and disappeared. Remus let his feeling of triumph flow over to Snape and winced when he pulled a muscle. He wished the Potions Master a good night as he waited for his partner to reappear with her oathbrother in tow. 

********** 

**Later that night…**

Harry froze in mid-step. The presence was getting closer to him and fear started to creep into him slowly._ Don't panic._ He was able to make out a shadowy figure slowly making its way around the shields that Harry had built. There was absolutely no time that Harry could create another shield. So he made the shield to his left permeable and quickly dashed into the protection of the shield, willing it to become solid to any magical attacks. The figure was just several feet away from him. Harry felt himself growing cold when another flash of brilliant red light flashed through the surroundings, lighting up the face of the figure. Voldemort was walking towards him. Voldemort, who was grinning in triumph as he caught sight of Harry. 

********** 

Malfoy sat up on the bed suddenly; severely startling the Potions Master from his reading. The Slytherin stared wildly across the room for a moment before turning to stare at Harry's motionless form. 

"Professor?" Malfoy croaked out, disengaging himself from the light blanket to walk unsteadily towards Harry's bed. Snape scrambled up to his feet and managed to catch a weak Malfoy before he fell on the metal post of a bed and split his forehead in the process. 

"What is it?" the Potions Master questioned urgently. Malfoy had reached his out his arm, palm hovering above Harry's forehead and pulled his hand back. _So… perhaps my dream was real. Harry is shielding himself against something. Good news: he is still functioning. Bad news: he might be in trouble inside his own mind, _the Slytherin prefect thought grimly to himself. 

"I think you better get Miss Maxwell," he suggested with a shaky voice. 

Snape paused, indecisive whether he should fetch Fenix himself or to summon her. He chose the latter as he tried to turn Malfoy into the direction of his own bed, but the boy struggled, opting to sit on a chair. Snape gave in to the boy as he concentrated in waking up a slumbering Fenix. 

_ : Sev? : _She sent her thought sleepily and then in a more alert mindvoice. _: What's wrong? :_

_ : I have absolutely no idea but Draco wants you here, : _Snape informed her, his mindvoice was tinged with curiosity. 

_ : Give me a moment. :_

Snape turned his attention to his student, who was dragging the chair closer to Harry's bed. The Slytherin was close enough to Harry that he was able to place his fingertips on Harry's temples. Snape blinked at his student's posture. The scene before him was overlaid with his memory of the night that both boys had collapsed. Fenix had raised Malfoy's head to her lap and did exactly the same thing as what the Slytherin prefect was doing now. The Fire Master materialized at the foot of Harry's bed and was about to speak when she froze, her head tilting to her right as she curiously stared at Malfoy. _By the golden wings of Aquilla! I did not imagine him to be a Mindhealer! Dear Gods!_

_ : Fenix? :_ Snape sent a concerned thought and she smiled briefly at him. 

_ : It's all right, : _she assured him and quickly strode forward and tapped Malfoy gently on his shoulder. He broke off his intense concentration and looked up to see Fenix's face hovering close. 

"I'm not sure if you should do this, Draco," she spoke up softly. "You had just recovered." 

"But I do not have any kind of choice, do I? Potter_ is_ important to the school." 

"And you think you aren't?" she said, her voice devoid of any emotions. "I'm not going to forget this, Draco. We'll get to that later. Now, what do you See?" she asked, going business-like and sent a thought to ask the boy for permission to link with him. Malfoy accepted her link and deftly showed her Harry's unconscious mind. Fenix sat herself on the edge of Harry's bed, and another set of fingers touched Harry's temples lightly. 

Malfoy closed his eyes for a clearer view, trying to ignore the uncomfortable sensation of sharing his mind with another. He saw his own figure enclosed in a deep verdant glow while Fenix shone a distinct blue figure. Fenix let him take the lead and he led her when they came up against a solid black wall. Fenix cocked her head to a side in curiosity as she watched Malfoy raise his right hand and placed a fingertip on the wall. His forefinger passed through easily and he beckoned to her. Fenix felt herself sliding through that wall and they came to another black wall. And another. And passed through yet another. 

She frowned a little as they moved forward to slide through more of the black walls._ I feel as if I'm inside a maze, but Draco seems to know where he's going. I wonder…_ She signaled at Malfoy to stop as she focused her attention to a black wall. Laying her palm against it, she was a little surprised that she felt pulses and energy flowing around it and retrieved her hand in incredulity. 

_ : My Gods! :_ She exclaimed to Snape and the boy. She answered quickly before either of them could pose a question. _: We're in a goddamn fortress made of shields! :_

_ : I think you might have taught Harry a little too well, Fenix, :_ Snape remarked casually and Malfoy felt a brief moment of astonishment at the Potions Master casualness. 

:_ Draco, you're the Mindhealer. Lead us to Harry before he managed to get himself into trouble. I'm sure that he had not created himself all these shields for fun. : _Malfoy nodded at the intense blue form of Fenix and led her to another maze of shields. This time, instead of black, the wall was of a myriad of colors and this assured Fenix that Harry was well and this part of his mind was alert. She grabbed hold of Malfoy to stay still when she Felt something very familiar. _: Draco, you don't have to be with me. :_ But the glowing green form of Malfoy shook his head stubbornly. _: Dear Phoebus. Why must you guys be so damn stubborn? : _She sent out a disgusted thought. Malfoy took the lead again, walking through the shields stealthily towards Harry. Fenix could see that he was standing his ground with grim determination and did not even flinch when a blast of red light hit his shield. A distant part of her was proud that Harry was able to create his shield with his own signature flowing all around the shield. He had transmuted the energy of his surroundings-- probably the energy that his friends had delivered him while he was dead to the world. Voldemort's projection was unaware of the two newcomers. Malfoy easily penetrated the shield Harry was in and Fenix followed. 

_ : Sorry that we had kept you waiting, Harry, :_ Fenix said lightly and Harry spun around as he stared at her with relief. That however, quickly changed to incredulity when he saw Malfoy. The Slytherin prefect was staring mutely at Voldemort who was staring at Fenix. _: A few words before we bring you up, : _the Fire Master spoke up. _: I am so damn proud of you! :_ She moved forward and stood beside Harry, watching the projection of the Dark Lord impassively. _: The two of you, : _Fenix addressed the two youths, _: are you ready? :_

They gave her unmistakable nods and they found their center, behaving as if this was one of her Defence lessons. _: Your choices. You either warn him singly or you could warn him together, :_ Fenix said conversationally to them, as if she was discussing the weather. _: So… after you guys… : _She waited patiently for them to make their move. Voldemort's projection remained unmoving, watching the silent figures but suspected they were communicating to each other. He was confident that they would not be rid of him from Harry's mind. All they could do was probably suppress him but he will never be truly gone from Harry's mind. However, that confident thought of him was quickly overruled when he heard Malfoy's son spoke clearly to Harry. 

"Just because I'm doing this together doesn't mean we get to be buddies, _Potty_." 

"That feeling is mutual,_ git_." 

Fenix looked archly at them both while Voldemort fumed as their careless conversation. The strange woman with them spoke up in a slightly condescending tone. "We'll see about that…" Harry linked his mind with Malfoy and their powers intertwined. The Dark Lord watched the two boys carefully as they were suddenly engulfed in incandescent white fire. It totally lit up the entire surroundings, but surprisingly, all of Harry's shields survived the sudden inferno. The same could not be said of Voldemort's projection as he felt intense pain. He turned his attention to the woman who suddenly flared up with blue flames and his pain intensified when Fenix's fire merged with that of the two young men. 

Harry addressed Voldemort directly. "You have no part of my life, Voldemort. Neither do I share your life." With the combined powers of the three individuals, every link Harry had with Voldemort was incinerated. That was the moment when Harry suddenly snapped out of his comatose, accidentally pushing Fenix out of the bed. 

"What in the name of Merlin is goi--" Madam Pomfrey's voice trailed off when she saw Harry sitting up on the bed, rubbing his head and a weakly laughing Fire Master on the floor. "Dear Lord!" she breathed, looking at them in amazement. Snape helped Fenix up to her feet and she gave Harry a bear hug, unable to contain her joy and relief. 

_ : Sirius! :_ She screamed in exaltation, making her oathbrother swore pungently. _: Get in here! Harry's awake! :_

_ : What? :_ Harry's godfather was stunned._ : He is… awake? :_

_ : Yes! :_ Fenix gave a light chuckle and gave the two other males a hug too, though she was careful not to squeeze Malfoy too much. 

"Ah… Fenix?" Snape spoke up softly, his face turning to crimson red when Malfoy looked at him in astonishment. He switched to mindspeech._ : You are spoiling my image. :_

_ : Whatever, : _Fenix said sardonically as she released the Potions Master from her surprisingly strong embrace, wiping her wet eyes. 

Harry was looking carefully at Malfoy, who was sitting on a chair, leaning back wearily. "Thanks," he said in a polite manner and the Slytherin prefect just gave a snort and demanded to be helped back into his own bed. 

"Maybe I should stay unconscious for now," Malfoy said dryly as Snape guided him back to his bed while Fenix and Madam Pomfrey fussed about Harry. "That way, sir…" Malfoy began in a lame voice, "you, Miss Maxwell and Potty could answer all the questions that would be loosened like a cannon ball in the next few minutes or so." He instantly fell asleep in exhaustion and Snape drew the blanket to cover the flaxen-haired young man. 

*********** 

_ "Don't touch me!"_ The Dark Lord screamed furiously at Lucius Malfoy and looked about for something to vent his anger. A deaf and blinded Muggle met his sight and he advanced towards the unwitting soul. A death scream pierced the hallways of the isolated house as Voldemort indulged himself with the scant life-source that the homeless Muggle gave him. 

"How dare they refute me!" Voldemort hissed. Malfoy bowed in submission to his Master. "You had not raised your son well, Lucius. He had dared to raise his mind against me and to bind his power to that of Potter's," he continued in a deathly quiet voice. "I might have to do something about that, Lucius." 

Someone entered the room quietly. The Dark Lord stared at Lucius's wife as she came to stand beside her husband. Lucius spoke up. "Draco is no son of mine--" 

"Ours!" his wife hissed, her eyes void of her wits.   
  
"You may do whatever you please, Master," Lucius said softly, bowing his head. And with great difficulty, he disowned his son in his heart, either for Draco's own good or for ill. 

*********** 


	40. Another Addition

**~ Chapter 40: Another Addition ~**

  


Sirius quickly put on a robe and shook Remus the werewolf lightly. Silver and Wind instantly woke up as Harry's godfather illuminated his bedroom brightly. _: What's up, Padfoot? :_ The werewolf asked him, his mindvoice sounding very tired. 

_ : We're going to the hospital wing. Harry's woken up! :_ Sirius impatiently tugged on Remus's neck. 

_ : Padfoot! Don't do that! : _Remus winced at his friend's insistent tugging. 

_ : Sorry, Moony, but can you please hurry up? : _Sirius said, struggling to wear his trainers. The three wolves loped off from the bedroom with Silver taking a moment to unlock the door with his will. They walked on the corridor silently and waited for Harry's godfather calmly. Sirius then ran softly and the wolves followed. 

_ : I'm not sure if I should come along, Padfoot. It's all well and good that Harry's awake but I_ am _a werewolf. Snape and probably Pomfrey won't trust me to be… safe, :_ his friend pointed out casually, loping forward. The corridor was echoing with the metallic clicks of the wolves' toenails, attracting the attention of several ghosts who were roaming about the castle. They reached the staircase that would lead to the hospital wing and Silver instructed Sirius to keep running. Harry's godfather felt the strange tingle and knew that the wolves were probably going to make a Jump. He was right, when they suddenly came to a familiar corridor, with a silver-black wolf waiting patiently for them. She gave a wolfish grin to the new-arrivals, her lupine silver eyes twinkling merrily in the dim light of the corridor. 

_ : Just to reassure the healer inside, :_ Fenix said lightly, pacing forward to greet her partner fondly. Remus did give her a lick across her muzzle and she giggled in their minds, following a very anxious oathbrother inside. Snape was back sitting beside Malfoy's bed, his black eyes watching Harry eat his gruel slowly. The young man gave a weak grin as Sirius slowly and calmly gave him a hug, trying hard not to act sentimental in front of Snape. 

_ : Do you want me to go make myself invisible? :_ The Potions Master suggested but Sirius ignored him. Remus the werewolf gave a distinct wink at Harry just as Fenix nipped his side lightly and ushered him over to Snape. 

_ : Call us when you're ready to hear the details, : _she informed Sirius and Harry as she created an opaque and soundproof shield over her oathbrother and his godson. The wolves all curled up together and fell into a light doze. Snape gave a crooked smile at the curled wolves and wondered if he should take a nap too. 

********** 

**Inside the shield…**

Harry had finished his bowl of porridge and Sirius passed him the glass of juice to his godson. He drank it slowly, being careful not to upset his stomach that had been empty for days. His godfather helped him to place the empty glass of juice on a side table, then sat back beside him. Sirius tilted his head to a side when Harry looked at him with a peculiar expression on his face. 

"Are you all right?" Sirius asked carefully, putting on a mere concerned face and hid the sense of fear and helplessness that he had felt ever since his godson had collapsed. 

Harry felt a little disappointed at his godfather's reaction but concealed it and gave a false bright smile at the older man. _What were you expecting?_ A small voice inside Harry's head demanded and he wondered why his godfather had acted more like a concerned stranger. Harry felt himself growing detached again and he was suddenly pulled back into focus when Sirius grabbed him and held him tightly. For just a brief moment, Sirius showed him just how desolate he had felt ever since the failed attempt on Harry's life. The uncertainty of his importance to his godfather vanished instantly and he returned his godfather's hug gladly, taking comfort in Sirius's warmth. 

_ : I am not really good at expressing my feelings, Harry, :_ Sirius said in a rueful mindvoice. 

_ : It's all right. I had sort of figured that out myself. :_ He smiled although he doubted that Sirius would be able to see it. _: And I am sorry that I had made you all worry. That action of retreat was sort of unintentional. :_

Sirius's shoulders shook. Harry thought his godfather was chuckling but he gripped Sirius tighter when he realized that the sudden warmth he felt over his right shoulder was his godfather's tears. Sirius spoke up softly. "God knows how terrible I made you feel when I fell over the Veil," his voice tight with emotion. "Please, Harry. I'm not getting younger by the second. Please tell _anyone_ if something strange had happen to you, all right?" 

"Just like old times?" Harry said contritely as he pulled away from his godfather and touched the lightning scar on his forehead briefly. Sirius nodded vigorously at his godson's answer before pulling the young man back into his embrace. Harry gave a blissful sigh, knowing that his world-- no matter how dangerous-- would be all right for as long as Sirius stayed with him. _Though I probably couldn't depend on him all of the time if I'm to be training as an Auror._ Harry stared blankly at Fenix's opaque shield. _I somehow get the feeling that things won't be quiet for much longer. That would happen inevitably but what about the students who will be taking their OWLs and NEWTs this year-- if war breaks out?_ "I wonder if it would be better for all the students to concentrate on their spellworks this year…" Harry muttered, disengaging from Sirius's embrace. His godfather looked back at him quizzically. 

"What made you say that?" 

"I dunno…" Harry mumbled, then continued in a clearer voice. "Won't Voldemort be attacking the School?" 

Sirius narrowed his thoughtfully and pursed his lips. "There's a grain of truth on what you're saying. I'm sure that Dumbledore would call for a meeting soon. Now, I'm ready to hear what my oathsister's got to say about how she rescued you. She had been crying herself out in frustration because she couldn't get through you." 

"I'm not sure if you will like what Fenix is going to tell you though," Harry said in a nervous voice. Sirius looked at him archly and sent a thought to his oathsister to take the shield down. When it dissolved, they found her standing calmly and trotted forward followed by Remus. Sirius sat himself on a chair while Harry rearranged himself on the bed to allow Fenix and Remus to sit up on the bed. 

_ : We probably might get ourselves skinned by Madam Pomfrey if we leave any fur on the sheets, :_ Fenix commented as she curled herself up against Remus comfortably. Sirius smiled crookedly at his oathsister, then turned to look at a dozing Snape. Fenix switched to a private mode._ : No smart remarks from you, brother-mine. Leave him alone. : _Sirius looked down at her with surprise. 

"I wasn't going to!" he protested softly, feigning innocence. Harry looked at his godfather and Fenix with mild amusement, propping his back with his pillow as he watched them quietly. 

_ : Yeah right… : _Fenix replied, her mindvoice thick with sarcasm. She turned her bright silver eyes to Harry. _: Do you remember how you happened to have that scar? :_

Sirius helped her by pointing to a diagonal scar just beside the scar that had been caused by the arrow from a random fire. Harry took a moment to think, then slowly nodded his head. "I couldn't seem to remember what happened to me back in here," he tapped a finger on his temple. "But somehow after that brief merge with Malfoy, I did remember--" Harry was quickly interrupted by his godfather. 

"What merge?" Sirius suddenly spoke up harshly, and a startled Snape shot a disgusted look at him. 

_ : I request you to be considerate toward my student, Sirius. After all, he was the one who showed Fenix the way to Harry's mind, :_ Snape stated firmly, then settled back down to nap. Sirius and Harry were staring at Fenix with mingled surprise and incredulity. 

_ : All right, Fenix. Explain. :_ Sirius switched to mindspeech, his mindvoice rather cold. 

_ : All in good time, bro. So, :_ she addressed Harry,_ : you had just gone out of the library and was walking toward the Gryffindor Tower. :_

Harry then continued from there, telling his godfather what had happened before he got down to the common room to read. He remembered that Neville had mentioned that he was bleeding and the next thing he knew, he found himself standing on the edge of a cliff. Fenix then explained to Harry what had happened to the Slytherin prefect. Harry listened to Fenix's narrative calmly. Somehow, he was not surprised of Malfoy's possession by his own father. The Fire Master informed him that Malfoy had also been unconscious, although he awakened earlier than Harry. 

_ : Why was he unconscious? : _Harry asked curiously. Three pairs of eyes turned to Fenix expectantly. 

_ : I don't really have to answer that, Harry. How would you feel if Sirius had used you to assassinate someone? Without your knowledge that you would be doing the dirty work for someone? : _She spoke up and the young man fell silent._ : That news was a blow to him, Harry. :_

_ : I can imagine that, :_ Harry replied, and Sirius stared at the solemnity that Harry portrayed. 

_ : So that's what happened to Malfoy. Now, what happened to you? :_ Fenix turned the tables onto the young man. Harry confessed that he did not know why he had retreated behind the black shields but suspected that he felt that he was a bit vulnerable while he remained invalid. He was not counting on Voldemort to be waiting for him inside his own mind. Harry also mentioned that flicker of light at the bottom of the chasm and Fenix conceded that she had no idea what the light meant. Sirius pestered his oathsister to explain what Malfoy had done to Harry and Snape chose that moment to join in the discussion. The Potions Master told Harry in a fairly civil mindvoice that Malfoy had gained his consciousness early in the morning. Then he told him how Malfoy had suddenly woke up from his sleep, getting out of bed instantly to go to Harry. Fenix nodded from time to time and enlightened the young man that his savior was a Mindhealer. The unique ability of Malfoy had helped her unravel the secret to Harry's blank mind and Sirius took a moment to tease the Fire Master lightly that she seemed to have a gap in her studies. 

_ : What does a Mindhealer do? : _Harry could not help asking. He could not believe that a guy like Malfoy had been gifted with a sensitive and humane gift. 

_ : A lot of things. It could work both ways, for good or for ill. A Mindhealer is sort of like an Empath, but unlike the Empaths who heal hearts-- meaning emotionally-- the Mindhealers heal the psychological parts of the human, : _the Fire Master informed the young man and he shuddered a little. 

_ : Could he influence the mind of another? :_ Harry asked in a worried voice but Fenix shook her head. 

_ : He could manipulate the mind of another but not the way you're thinking. I'll give you an example. Malfoy could erase your thoughts completely or he could transplant false memories into your mind and you would really think that memory is completely true. This is usually done for someone who's been through a very drastic trauma that the truth would probably damage his or her lives to a severe extent. :_

Harry looked thoughtfully at Sirius and commented in a serious voice, "Sometimes she sound just like Hermione." 

_ : Thanks very much, :_ Fenix said dryly and the room was filled with muffled chuckles._ : You know, :_ she turned her eyes on the sleeping Slytherin, _: I bet Draco can tell you what that flicker of light at the bottom of the pit signifies. :_

********** 

**At the Gryffindor common room…**

Hermione blearily came down to the common room and stopped as she saw some of her juniors looking up at a giant banner that was being hung by Dobby. It wrote_ 'Harry has awakened!!!!!!!!!' _She blinked incredulously and Ron bumped into her quite accidentally when Dean pushed him gently. 

"What's wrong?" Ron asked her. She did not say anything but pointed up at the banner. "Bloody hell!" 

Harry's friends quickly bounded off to the Hall and pocketed as much food they could possibly handle and went straight up to the infirmary. They met a very sentimental Hagrid who had just came out of the room and gave them a thumbs-up sign. Hermione squealed with delight like a seven-year old kid in a candy store when she saw Harry sitting on his bed, grinning widely at her as he ate his breakfast. His godfather, who could not sleep, stayed with Harry all the way through morning to accompany him. She flung her arms around Harry enthusiastically and let Ginny hug him, clapping her hands gleefully. 

Malfoy stared impassively at them as he ate his breakfast and listened to their conversation while he read the _Daily Prophet_ that the Potions Master had passed to him. Hermione was asking Harry in an excited voice, "Did Fenix helped you?" Snape looked archly at the exalted girl and Sirius decided it was time for her to be pulled down to earth. 

"Why do you make it sound as if she's the answer to everything?" Harry's godfather asked gently and Hermione gave him an inquisitorial look. Sirius chuckled lightly at her facial expression. He leaned in to whisper with a roguish highlight of his face. "Even she had to depend on Malfoy for help." 

"What?" several of Harry's friends yelped out in unison. Ron stared at Harry, before turning to look at the Slytherin prefect who was watching them with a lofty expression. "I don't bloody believe it," Ron said flatly. 

"I know what you mean." Harry nodded his agreement. He gave a sly grin at Hermione when he caught sight of her new silver bracelet. "Hermione," he motioned her to lean slightly closer and whispered, "happy Belated Birthday by the way." She treated him with a bright smile. He saw Alamanda standing frozen at the doorway. Every head turned to watch the girl curiously. 

"Draco helped to get Harry back?" she asked in a soft voice, almost dreamily. Harry nodded, not seeing the danger that was about to happen in the hospital wing. "He really did?" she asked, her eyes wide with disbelief. Sirius's and then Snape's accompanied Harry's nod. Alamanda took a deep breath and strode forward over Malfoy. Bravely she placed a hand on his collar, pulling him down and delivered a kiss, right in front of Snape. The Gryffindors stared at the kissing duo, suddenly filled with embarrassment. Sirius smothered the laughter that was about to explode as he looked at Snape's face. 

Alamanda pulled away, her eyes staring at Malfoy's with a mystified expression. She suddenly blushed; not daring to look at the Potions Master and quickly fled away from the infirmary. Malfoy raised his fingers to touch his lips with a moony expression. Harry took that moment to make a comment to his best friend. "He certainly looked like how you did when Hermione first kissed you last year. All baffled--" Hermione quickly clamped his mouth shut, blushing furiously. 

Ginny gave a whistle and looked accusingly at Hermione. "Last year, Hermione? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"   
  
"Who needs to be told, Ginny?" Dean hugged her familiarly, making Ron narrow his eyes as he stared at his roommate. "It was kind of obvious. For _years_, in fact." Ginny gave a snort and looked at Malfoy in amusement. He was still wearing that bemused expression but his face was turning red when he saw Snape stare at him. 

_ : Chill out, Snivellus. Let the youngsters enjoy their childhood. :_

_ : I solemnly swear that if you call me that again, I'll Transfigure you into a cockroach, :_ Snape threatened. Sirius looked at him suspiciously. 

_ : Why a cockroach? :_ Sirius sent a wary thought. 

_ : Maybe not just a cockroach. A flying one. Fenix is absolutely frightened of flying cockroaches. That way I have absolute confidence that she will get you with a broomstick. :_ Snape leaned back against his chair, and wore a contemplative expression. 

_ : No wonder you fell into Slytherin, : _Sirius replied laconically. He lifted his nose up when he smelled something delicious wafting about the room. Fenix entered the room with the Defence teacher carrying a basket in one arm while Remus held a couple of paper plates in another. 

"Extra treat for you guys," she announced cheerfully and systematically began cutting up a green-looking cake and swiftly placed each piece on paper plates while Remus distributed them to the people in the room. 

"What kind of cake is this?" Sirius asked curiously, lifting his portion up to smell. 

"Something I learned… somewhere. I think it was a recipe I found from the Internet." Fenix muttered a _'Forget it' _when a handful of them looked at her in bafflement. 

********** 

**At the Hall…**

There was another delivery of letters and parcels by the post-owls that morning. However, one owl hovered above the Slytherin table and finally managed to catch the attention of Professor McGonagall. The owl flew straight for her and dropped a red envelope. It was intended for Draco Malfoy. 

********** 

"Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione asked the healer, who was giving Harry a check-up, "how long do Harry have to stay here?" 

The healer pursed her lips and replied thoughtfully. "I think he could go back to his classes by Friday but absolutely no Quidditch. And the same goes to your student, Professor Snape." The Potions Master nodded to indicate that he heard her and helped himself to one more piece of cake. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat to gain the attention of all, holding Malfoy's envelope gingerly in between her fingers. 

"You have a…" she halted, looking uncertainly at the Slytherin prefect. 

"I don't think we should be in the same room when _that _goes off," Neville said in a hushed voice but his warning came a little too late. 

_ "YOU USELESS HUMAN BEING! I AM ABSOLUTELY ASHAMED OF YOU!" _The voice of Malfoy's mother shrieked out. It was almost as bad as having the portrait of Sirius's mother. _"WE SPENT SO MANY YEARS AND GALLEONS ON YOU! AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY US?! YOU DENIED HIM OF POTTER!"_ Several obscenities followed and even the Potions Master blanched at the offensive words. Mrs. Malfoy shrieked again._ "I, NARCISSA BLACK AND MY HUSBAND, LUCIUS MALFOY DECLARE DRACO AN OUTCAST! YOU ARE SHUNNED AMONG US!"_ The tray that Madam Pomfrey was holding fell from her grasp, the teapot breaking into several tiny fragments. The red envelope stopped shrieking and began to self-destruct. 

No one dared say anything. No one dared make a move. Fenix stared at the spot where the red envelope had burst into flames and disintegrated into a small pile of ashes. Malfoy, white-lip and pale, began to shake uncontrollably. The room began to heat up suddenly. Harry acted instinctively. He got up from his bed and delivered the belligerent Slytherin prefect a stunning blow. The room went back to an ambient temperature. 

"Why on earth did you do that?" Hermione gasped in disbelief. 

_ "Potter…"_ Snape hissed out angrily. Harry looked at the Potions Master calmly. 

"Malfoy was losing his temper. He was getting ready to self-destruct himself." 

"Then I'm glad you knocked him into sense again," Fenix strode forward and lifted Malfoy who was rubbing his swollen cheek. "You're being foolish, Draco." She laid a hand on his cheek and the pain gradually lessened. 

"They disowned me," Malfoy spoke in a hushed voice, looking baffled. 

_ : Guys… :_ Fenix spoke to the rest of the students. Ron waved goodbye to them, promising Harry that they would be back during their lunch time. Professor McGonagall felt uneasy being in the room and left with the rest of the Gryffindor students. The healer left the rest alone after she had gathered the broken pieces of the teapot. 

Malfoy bowed his head, trying to control his grief and anger. He joked feebly, trying to distract himself from the way his emotions were boiling up inside him. "That was quite a powerful blow, Potty. I think you ought to go back to the classes." 

"Reserves," Harry replied in an off-handed manner. 

Fenix stared penetratingly at the Potions Master._ : What? : _Snape asked her in irritation. However, she remained silent, staring deeply into his eyes and waited. He did not like the way she was looking at him, feeling as if she was measuring something so obscure. The silence grew so intense that Remus, Harry and his godfather couldn't help but stare quietly at the Fire Master and then Snape. 

"All right," Snape grated out in disgruntlement. "Draco," he spoke in a commanding voice and that made the Slytherin prefect stare up at him. "Your parents should have been more specific when they had sent that Howler. They should have remembered to severe a contract that your father had made with me. But in this case--" he was quickly interrupted by Fenix. 

"That contract is still valid," she spoke in a severe tone. Remus, Harry, his godfather and Malfoy stared at the other two, trying to figure out what they were saying. 

"What contract?" Harry asked in a puzzled voice. 

"Lucius Malfoy had named me as his godfather." 

"Oh," Harry responded, taking Snape's answer casually. "So, Fenix," he gave the Fire Master a sly grin, "one more addition to the family…" 

"Yeah. It's complete now." Malfoy was staring at her incredulously when she said that. She winked broadly at Harry as she exited out of the infirmary. 

"Snape, do you have something for migraines?" the werewolf asked him in a rueful voice. 

"No help for it I guess," Harry exchanged a dry look with his godfather. "What do you want for a family reunion, Draco?" The Slytherin prefect threw a fireball at him but it impacted uselessly on Harry's shield. 

_ : Fenix is being cruel. Bad enough that she had made us like Snape, who happened to be a person I hate most, and now this one? :_ Harry asked his godfather helplessly. 

_ : God. She is one hell lot of a complicated woman. : _Sirius gave a sigh, looking at Draco with sympathy, as the boy groaned and quickly covered his face with his pillow as he lay back on the bed. 

********** 


	41. Interlude

**~ Chapter 41: Interlude ~**

  


**In the Infirmary…**

Now that everyone else had gone to either attend classes or teach classes, Harry was beginning to feel a little bored. Harry looked at Draco's bed and sighed, trying to think of something he could do. The Slytherin prefect had fallen asleep, like a blinded hawk after he had covered his face with his pillow. Harry had stepped out of bed and wanted to take a walk but Madam Pomfrey stared at him icily and he turned back to sit on his bed. He let out a sigh of acquiescence. There was still a bit of Fenix's cake and he decided to snack, leaning against his pillow as he daydreamed. 

The room darkened steadily and he heard the low growls of thunder, rumbling across the land. His thoughts turned to the sleeping Slytherin. _I sympathize with that guy. He was a spoilt brat belonging to a wealthy, pure-blooded wizard family then got himself repudiated by his kin because he helped me, only to be carried away into a family that's organized by a strange woman. _Just thinking about the idea that Draco's going to be part of their lives, just like how Fenix had gradually fitted Snape in their daily lives, was giving the young man a splendid headache. Harry was still deep in thought while munching away on the cake when the Headmaster entered the room, almost regally. Harry looked a little confused when he saw a dark shape looming over his right and smiled when he saw that it was Dumbledore. 

"Good morning, Harry," the Headmaster greeted him and closed his eyes briefly when a bright flash of lightning hit the wall of the castle. "You are well, I hope?" he continued. 

"Yes, I think I'm fine now. But Madam Pomfrey insisted that I remain here until tomorrow," Harry replied, suddenly wishing that he was back in classes than hanging about like an invalid. 

"Sirius had told me some of your thoughts," Dumbledore began, taking a chair and carefully rearranged his robe before sitting down. "I am beginning to think that we should have suspended the lessons after all." He sighed almost regretfully and stared at Harry piercingly. 

"But we still could send the students back right? Especially the juniors," Harry offered a cake as he said that. 

"I am afraid it's too late now, Harry. The students _and_ their families are already committed to fight Voldemort. Even now, there are plans of skirmishes to take down Death Eaters and the Dementors. While the other side also have plans to reduce our numbers," the Headmaster informed him as he took the proffered piece of cake. "There is a high possibility that we might have to cancel the exams," he paused for a moment to chew on the cake. "Interesting flavor," he remarked. 

"Fenix baked it," Harry responded and Dumbledore smiled faintly. 

"I wonder where she had found the time to bake this," he said, then looked solemnly at the young man. "Professor Trelawney had made another prediction." 

Harry gazed intently at the Headmaster, whose aged eyes were looking at him worriedly. "The war between Voldemort and us would continue for until the planet Jupiter crosses the path of the sun, creating a solar eclipse. And that had already been calculated." 

Harry stared mutely and waited for Dumbledore to continue. "The war will go on for approximately four years, ending sometime in winter of that year. That is if you live long enough. If you somehow died within that four years, the war will continue on for a much longer period," the Headmaster said gravely. 

The Boy Who Lived was stunned by the news, color draining from his face quickly. Draco, who had been awake when the Headmaster came in and was listening to their conversation secretly, pulled his pillow from his face slowly. His pale face mirrored the same kind of horrified expression that was on Harry's face. 

"I thought…" Harry choked on his words, not able to continue. 

"It is war, Harry. I'm afraid that the confrontation between you and Voldemort will take longer than just a day, or a month," Dumbledore said gently. Harry covered his face with one hand as he trembled suddenly, trying not to think about how many casualties will result from this war. The thought of losing his close friends because of it was strong enough to make him cry. The Headmaster stood up from his chair and clasped his shoulder before quietly walking off, nodding to Draco on his way out. 

"He definitely has a good sense of timing," Draco spoke up, staring at the beams and Harry could not tell if the Slytherin was being sarcastic. "Gloomy thoughts to complement the nice weather over the castle." Harry nodded his agreement and fell silent as a series of loud growls of thunder filled the room. 

********** 

**Lunchtime…**

The hospital wing was filled with murmurs of conversation, occasionally punctuated by thunder. The presence of their friends in the room helped the two boys to forget about the grim news that Dumbledore had passed on temporarily. Hermione was informing Harry just how much he was missing out on lessons and also told him that he, herself, and Ron made up a group to complete a Transfiguration project that McGonagall had given them. And the date when the project will be due will be sometime during the first week of October. 

"Seems like homework is piling up on me," Harry groaned as he watched Hermione began listing down all that needed to be done. "And what about that Vigilencia potion?" 

"Hasn't Snape talked to you about it?" Ron asked casually. Harry shook his head and Ron exchanged a look with Hermione. 

"Well…" she began nervously. "He said that you and Ma-- Draco would resume making that potion on Saturday morning." Harry sighed as she finished her sentence and examined the list that Hermione handed over to him. It did not seem too bad to Harry and he brightened up. 

Over at Draco's side, Montague was briefing his friend about his homework. His group of boys had boldly cast Parkinson's group aside without fear, as Crabbe passed Draco several Chocolate Frogs. The pale-haired Slytherin listened attentively to Montague's words while Alamanda squeezed herself into their group. She seemed to be very popular to the Slytherin boys much to Parkinson's horror, but she could not do anything about how Draco's gang was favoring the first-year girl. Warrington had made several veiled threats to everyone who decided to play tricks with Alamanda, eyeing Parkinson particularly as he said it. 

Ginny was looking at them with a mystified expression on her face, whispering secretively to Hermione, both of them possessing the same sly glints in their eyes. "Hermione, what are you doing?" Ron whispered into her ear, feeling somewhat suspicious. 

"I'm not doing anything," she calmly replied. "I just want to see how Draco will react to Alamanda's presence with Parkinson hanging in the background," she explained in a hushed voice, her eyes not leaving the bunch of Greenies. She smiled faintly when she saw Draco's face lit up when he caught sight of Alamanda, just when Montague finished his briefing. Alamanda was blushing prettily and seemed to be slightly breathless when the taller Warrington pushed her forward. She tittered nervously. The Gryffindors and Draco's group of friends waited somewhat anxiously. 

Draco beckoned her closer and she complied making Parkinson narrow her eyes into mere slits. The pale-haired young man leaned towards the young girl and nervously whispered. "Did Snape say anything to you?" Alamanda blinked her eyes and nodded shyly. "So what did he say?" 

"Detention on Friday at five," she whispered back. Draco lifted an eyebrow and asked her in an almost rakish way. 

"Would you be there?"   
  
Hermione quickly buried her face on Ron's chest, trying to muffle her giggles. Alamanda nodded shyly then quickly pushed past Montague and fled away again, her hands covering her flaming cheeks. Draco's gang burst out in laughter and Warrington clapped Draco's back carelessly. 

"Good man," he grinned roguishly, ignoring Parkinson's shocked expression. 

"Someone's turning really,_ really _into a Greenie," Ginny whispered to her friends and they studied Parkinson, who was looking at Draco lividly. 

"What is the meaning of this, Draco?" she hissed out angrily. Her friends chose that moment to leave the room and the Gryffindors surrounded themselves with conversation, trying not to listen to Parkinson's shrill voice. 

"I thought it was obvious," the young man replied calmly. "You don't get it? Then I'll explain. I'm absolutely tired of your senseless chattering. I don't mind the cuddles but I rather like the cuddles to be silent without any kind of background vocals. So, to sum it all up, I'm breaking off with you." 

The Slytherins fell silent and waited patiently. "You'll regret this!" she stormed off and the Slytherin guys sighed with relief. 

"I'm so glad you finally did it that I could almost kiss you," Montague said fervently to his friend who just smirked, "and the rest of you, don't even dare try to court her or her friends." He looked fiercely at the rest of his friends. 

"Don't you think it's better if you warn Alamanda to be careful, Montague? Parkinson really knows how to keep grudges," Alicia Spinnet called out to them. Warrington nodded and headed out along with Crabbe and Goyle. 

The visitors waved their goodbye and left the room for their classes and left Harry and Draco alone again. The atmosphere turned bleak again. Harry studied Hermione's list but not really reading it. Not able to stand the silence and the heavy thoughts that were about to surface he stood up and walked over to the Slytherin's side, flopping on to a chair carelessly. Draco narrowed his eyes warily as he stared at his rival. 

"I've been wanting to ask you this," Harry began, talking casually to the Slytherin. 

"What?" Draco asked curtly. 

"When I was out, I found myself standing near the edge of something. So inches away from solid ground was a curtain of blackness," Harry paused as lightning bolt hit the castle and a great roar of thunder vibrated through the walls. "And at the bottom-- somewhere below, I saw a steady flicker of light," he continued. 

Draco leaned on his pillow as he looked at Harry thoughtfully. Finally, he spoke up. "It's a place where you can enter and never come back." At his rival's confused look, he began explaining. "You go in, you might never wake up from your comatose. That's how some people ended up from a state of unconsciousness into a brain-dead state." He casually tossed a Chocolate Frog to a shuddering Harry. "Now, it's my turn. What in the name of Bel happened to Snape?" 

"I don't really understand the change either. But Fenix played a large factor in that. And you know… Snape's not even a Death Eater anymore. He doesn't even bear the Mark; if you had watched carefully during that particular train-hijack." Harry tore off the wrapping and chewed on the Chocolate Frog thoughtfully. 

"I only saw something silver gleaming on his left arm," Draco mused. 

"It was a Phoenix. Fenix was the one who gave him that. As far as I understand it, Snape's been given the full redemption," Harry informed him. "Did you receive any news about your father, Drake?" 

The Slytherin watched him carefully. "No. But I suspect that my mother had been in contact with him. Peculiar, isn't it? She didn't trust me enough." 

"I don't know if I should tell you this, but maybe I should." 

That mysterious sentence made Draco sat up straighter and looked curiously at his rival. Harry cleared his throat uneasily. "Your father's sort of maimed right now." 

"What?" Draco yelped, his eyes going round. 

"There were several attempts from the Dark Lord to gain Snape back into their midst but Snape refused them firmly. Your father was dueling Snape at that time and Snape shoved a… this might sound a little revolting," Harry warned the Slytherin prefect. 

"Go on," Draco instructed firmly. "He shoved what?" 

"He took a sharp stick and jabbed it into your father's right eye," Harry quickly described what had happened. Draco inevitably winced and unconsciously rubbed his right eye. The queer thing that Draco noticed was that he was not even angry at what Snape did to his father._ I'm just too tired to react properly I guess. I can't believe I'm talking to Potter right now. That woman must have grown on me when I was not paying attention. She probably was starting to influence me during the Defence lessons._

********** 

**In Sirius's office. Before dinner…**

Snape knocked on Sirius's door and Harry's godfather admitted him in. Snape looked at him curiously and sat down on a chair, watching Sirius marking carefully on a student's parchment. 

"Why did you want to see me?" Snape asked and Sirius looked at him blankly for a moment before snapping his fingers together. 

"I almost forgot to tell you that Fenix and I would be scouting on Saturday evening," Sirius said then went back to marking his student's paper. Snape's mouth thinned as he suppressed his anger. 

"Sirius, you're shorting her," Snape told him in a cold voice. 

"I know, but she accepted the invitation. We're going with the wolves this time. It's risky enough with the centaurs being very selfish with their territory, bad enough there's one lost giant out there somewhere, and even worse that Death Eaters had came so close to the students. We need to keep a close eye on that Forest, so we'll be covering more ground than usual." 

Snape took a deep breath to calm himself, but the offhanded manner Sirius had spoke somehow irked him. "Fine then," the Potions Master snapped out. "I have to inform you that Harry's behind his Advanced Potions so I have to give him some extra tutorials on Sundays." 

"No," Sirius said flatly, and Snape instantly bristled. "Sunday's family day. It's the time the kids get to relax." 

_ : I wonder if you really care about Harry's future, Mr. Black. :_ Snape's mindvoice was steely. 

Sirius slammed his fist down and leaned forward, scowling furiously. _: What are you implying, Snivellus? :_

_ : I am implying that you are spoiling your godson too much. Having extra lessons won't hurt the boy. Or maybe… you are afraid that he might disappear even before you get to say that you love him? : _Snape almost jeered at him. 

_ : Yes! :_ Sirius stood up, staring eye to eye to the Potions Master. His face was pale with suppressed anger and Snape stared back angrily, his black eyes shining brightly. 

_ : You are still the arrogant boy, Black. You can't even tell him a simple thing. :_

_ : Harry doesn't need to be told, Snivellus. He has far more sense than you do! :_

Snape had enough. Somehow all the tension from the day he had met the Dark Lord again at the Ministry finally caught up with him and lunged at Sirius, giving a powerful blow to the side of the Black's face. Sirius lay stunned for a while at a corner where he had landed, and shook his head a little. Harry's godfather retaliated by giving Snape a punch, and the Potions Master backed away from him with a bleeding lip. The Elementals watched them with alarm and amusement. Some wanted to inform their mistress about the two males but Krill told all of them to stand down, saying that the two men needed to break it all out. 

Both of them were careful not to land on Sirius's desk for fear of ruining the students' answer scripts. The scene was ghastly, much like a brawl between two drunken men in a tavern. Since the two of them were sane and clear-headed, the damage was much more pronounced. Sirius was the first to give up, leaning against the window and took shallow breaths, clutching the right side of his waist. Snape followed, leaning against Sirius's cupboard, massaging his jaw. 

"I think both of us have lost our minds," Sirius gasped in pain. 

"I don't believe it myself. Brawling, like a bunch of fifteen year-olds. Gods," Snape agreed. "I wonder why the idea of a professional duel didn't came to me." 

"Same here. Damnation. I promised Fenix that I would come down to the Hall for dinner." 

"So did I." Snape gazed helplessly at him, finally looking at the damage he caused Sirius. 

"Oh man. We are going to get killed." Sirius groaned, then slowly sat down. "What are we going to do?" 

"You tell me." Snape snorted, flinging his head back and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw Sirius bowing his head down, body shaking. A light chuckle came out of Harry's godfather. It slowly turned to an all-out laughter. Snape shook his head in disgust at the situation, and helplessly joined in Sirius's infectious laughter. 

"We're a pair--" Sirius doubled up laughing. 

"--Of fools." Snape said weakly, laughing so hard that his eyes misted. 

*********** 

Snape suppressed a brief sigh of resentment. He still needed to get changed. His robe was torn and several buttons of his shirt had popped off. Sirius helped the indignant Snape collect all the missing buttons, continuously laughing. He was peeking out from Sirius's office, hoping fervently that he would not bump into anyone out the corridor. _It's a good thing I could still move swiftly._ He gave a brief nod to Sirius and briskly walked to his office and let out a sigh of relief when he safely entered his office. 

"You are still going to get killed you know," Krill's amused deep voice echoed in the room and the Potions Master winced. 

********** 

Sirius looked at the mirror and flinched at the sight of his bruised cheek and his eye was just starting to swell. _At least I do have the reputation to be a rogue since I was a student here but Snape doesn't. _He grinned wickedly and stepped out of his quarters and cheerfully went down to the Hall. He whistled and winked at the girls who were staring curiously at his handsome, battered face and entered the Hall as if he had not just engaged himself in a fistfight. He put on a bland expression on his face and tried not to wince as he sat down beside his oathsister. Fenix's fork had clattered noisily onto her plate when she caught sight of his face. 

"What?" Sirius innocently asked. The people surrounding Sirius watched him with baffled expression. "What?" he asked in exasperation. _So far I'm doing all right, but it will blow off anyway when Snape gets here._ There were hushed whispers erupting from the Slytherins as they watched a figure clad in black strode forward calmly to the Gryffindor table. Ron choked his pumpkin juice and both Hermione and Ginny quickly patted his back. The Potions Master calmly sat in his place and began to eat his dinner in silence. 

_ : Has she started screaming yet? : _Snape asked in a worried tone, although his face remained impassive. Sirius copied his image. 

_ : Surprisingly, no. : _Harry's godfather answered calmly. He tried to watch Fenix by the corner of his eye and was careful not to sigh with relief when she picked her fork back up and resumed eating. Her silence was a warning sign and the two men who had misbehaved waited in trepidation. Sirius suddenly realized his best friend was missing from the table and asked Fenix in a soft voice. 

"He's gone for his patrol with McGonagall, along with the wolves," Fenix said in an expressionless voice. Sirius remained silent after that and concentrated on his dinner. Then came the avalanche. 

_ : Sirius, I'm disgusted at you, :_ she first said to Sirius privately and then to Snape. _: And Severus, I am absolutely shocked. : _She calmly left the table and exited from the Hall. Snape actually sunk in his seat a little. The students exchanged a baffled look and shrugged, staring at the two men who was actually flushing with embarrassment. 

********** 

**After nine…**

Sirius was walking down to the hospital wing unhurriedly. Peeves was loitering about the hallway and with a flick of his wand he triggered a complicated looking trap that the poltergeist was still fixing. Peeves wailed out in distressed and his cries attracted the Bloody Baron who picked the poltergeist up-- trap and all, before vanishing. He gave a wicked smile and jumped suddenly when a peal of thunder broke over the castle. 

Entering the ward, he saw that Fenix was sitting closely to Snape and knew that she was Healing the Potions Master. He was a little surprised to see Harry sitting on a chair beside Draco's bed and the four of them seemed to be discussing about something. Draco lifted an eyebrow when he inspected Sirius. Even his godson was scrutinizing him carefully. Finally, Harry spoke up, via mindspeech. 

_ : Sirius, : _Harry began in a slightly pained voice,_ : what on earth possessed you that you picked up a fight with our greasy-haired Professor Snape? :_

"That's easy to answer, Harry," Sirius said with full aplomb. "I always pick a fight with him when I have the chance to. It's his problem that he had chosen to participate." Harry laughed heartily at his thick-skinned godfather. 

"Just for that, I'll let your eye swell shut," Fenix said firmly, not looking at Sirius. She clinically poked Snape on his back and he flinched. Sirius chuckled lightly. 

_ : How are you doing? : _Sirius asked his godson and Harry answered with a grin. _: What were you guys talking about before I came in to interrupt you? :_

Harry stretched his back as he answered. _: We were talking about the night we were flying to the Headquarters but ended up taking a side trip. Draco wanted to hear the details about his father and about Snape's redemption. :_

Fenix absently pulled Sirius close to her and began to Heal him automatically. He gave in to her administration and listened to their conversation distractedly. It was beginning to rain again. An hour passed and Fenix quickly gave all four males a hug, saying that she wanted to get some sleep. She gave a severe look at Snape and warned him to go to bed as soon as the healer chase them all out. 

"She's quite an austere woman, isn't she?" Draco observed, eyeing Snape with dry amusement. 

"Be nice," Harry responded. Madam Pomfrey came into the room and looked significantly at the four of them. Sirius sighed and motioned Harry to go to his bed. The lights were dimming quickly and Sirius took enough time to hug his godson. 

_ : Goodnight, Harry. :_

_ : You too. : _He gave a small sigh. _: Just one more night. I'll be sleeping in my own bed tomorrow. That's a nice thought. :_ Sirius chuckled at Harry's almost petulant mindvoice. 

Madam Pomfrey cleared her throat impatiently and Sirius lingered long enough to tuck the blanket in._ : Hey, :_ Sirius faltered, feeling a little embarrassed, _: I love you, Harry. :_

There was a sudden flash of lightning and Sirius briefly saw his godson's bright smile._ : I know. :_ The room plunged back into darkness._ : And I love you too. I sort of regretted that I had never said that to you, especially when I thought that you were really gone. :_

_ : Well, no more regrets then, : _Sirius said cheerfully, feeling as if a great deal of weight disappeared from his shoulders. _: Have a good sleep. : _Sirius quickly took himself out of the ward before Madam Pomfrey could complain and joined Snape as they headed back to their quarters while the infirmary was watched by the Elementals. 

*********** 


	42. Back To Classes?

**~ Chapter 42: Back to Classes? ~**

**  
** **Thursday, 21st September.**

Madam Pomfrey was giving the two students a last minute check up and pronounced that both of them could return to their dormitory but said in passing that they were not required to attend classes yet, but they could if they wanted to. Harry and Draco walked out of the hospital ward together and parted as Draco moved to a portrait that would lead the Slytherin straight down to the Entrance Hall while Harry went to a portrait that would lead him to the seventh floor.

The Fat Lady was waiting expectantly as she watched him trying to remember the password that Hermione had whispered to him yesterday. He grinned broadly and said, _"Silver Wheel_." The Fat Lady smiled briefly and swung open to admit him in. The common room was silent, as the students had gone off for their classes. He clambered up the staircase to his dormitory to pick up his towel and gave himself a bath. Feeling absolutely refreshed, he went back to his room to change into his school robes. He sighed when he tried to comb his hair but it just would not cooperate and he got out his gel. He spent several moments styling his hair and swiftly turned around when a soft tender hoot filled the room. It was Hedwig, gracefully perched at a chair's back. Harry went straight to her and scratched her neck fondly. He had missed Potions tutorial and thought he ought to go down for his Transfiguration practical that day. He lifted Hedwig from her perch and she carefully hopped onto his arm before placing her talons slowly on his shoulder.

He picked up his wand and tucked it into his robe, then carefully examined his bag. Finding that all his writing utensils and the books necessary for his classes for the rest of the day were in it, he zipped his bag close and lifted it to his left shoulder. Looking at his wristwatch, it showed exactly ten-fifteen and he decided to go down the library to kill time. "Hey, I'm going to the library. Why don't you fly back to the Owlery to rest? You can come find me in the Hall during lunch time later. Will that be all right?" Hedwig nibbled on his ear gently and he opened the window to let her out. Hedwig slowly edged her talons to the lower part of his arm and he gave a powerful toss and watched as Hedwig soared over the clear autumn sky. He watched his owl disappear from sight and closed the window back, then stepped out of the dormitory to head down to the library. He suddenly remembered that he had a belated gift to deliver to Hermione. He went back to his room and searched for the gift that he had kept in his drawer. He got out a slim black paper packet that contained his gift. It was one of Hedwig's secondary feathers that he had obtained when she shook the loose feather free from her wings. Without help from anyone, he had made a nice-looking accessory for his friend. With that packet safe in his pocket, he went out of the Gryffindor Tower and went down to the library.

He was a little surprised to see Draco in the library reading a book. Suddenly feeling awkward, he briefly nodded a greeting before choosing a table at a corner that was nearer to a window. He fished for Hermione's list of homework and scanned it. His eyes lighted up on an essay writing for Herbology and felt that he ought to spend sometime in the library to find information on how to grow and nurture the _Magnolia Projectivilien_. He got up from his seat and searched through the Herbology section, and finally came up with two thick books that seemed promising. He leafed through the pages of one volume as he went back to his seat.

By the time Harry had finished writing down some respectable notes, it was ten minutes to eleven. There was no time for him to look at the second book but jotted down the reference so he could find it again if he needed to. He packed up his bag and placed the books back into their shelves and unexpectedly bumped into the Slytherin.

"McGonagall's?" Harry asked the pale-haired Slytherin who nodded. They walked toward their Transfiguration classroom and Harry secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Hermione and Ron waiting outside the classroom.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted in delight.

"What are you doing here?" Ron queried and Harry chuckled softly.

"I've rested enough in bed," he informed them in a contrite voice. Ron was eyeing Draco suspiciously, who was gazing intently at them. Hermione was about to say something but Harry gave both her and Ron a look signifying,_ 'I need to inform you of something but later'_. Then he pretended to check his robe for something but in actual fact he was fingering the Gryffindor crest attached to the school robe. His friends got the idea immediately. He finally got out Hermione's gift and she glowed that he had remembered her birthday. The door unlocked and Hermione was the first to enter and stood frozen in the middle of the classroom. Wondering what had caught her perplexity, Harry looked about the classroom. Professor McGonagall was already waiting for them, as a cat on her desk. However, she was the only thing that looked normal in the room. Harry caught sight of a brown rat but had the hind legs of a crow. He saw a statue but it had a pair of flapping winds.

"Bloody hell…" Ron muttered under his breath. The Gryffindors placed their bags to one corner and stared at the weird stuff placed in all directions about the room. Draco was peering curiously at a palm-sized mirror but when he flipped it to the other side, he gave a small gasp of surprise when he saw a mouse protruding out of the mirror. Professor McGonagall-- in her cat form-- was staring at Harry. She waited until all were present before leaping off from the table and transformed into her human self.

"Welcome back Mr. Potter and you too, Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall greeted them slowly. The temperature suddenly increased but dropped back down instantly. Harry looked at Draco, whose eyes were glimmering with intense anger. "Well, class. Today we shall see just how good you are at figuring what had been what," she informed all of them with a faint smile hovering on her lips. Her eyes scanned the room quickly as she counted heads and told them to work on an object in groups of threes. Draco quickly took Crabbe and Goyle and that left Parkinson alone, who seemed to be still glowering at him about their breakup. Parvati and Lavender with heavy hearts accepted her into their group.

Harry, Ron and Hermione went off for the statue with the pair of wings. Ron was studying the pair of wings carefully. "Harry, what do they look like to you?" He pointed his chin at the wings. Harry went over to examine the wings while Hermione was carefully poking the statue and scrutinizing it carefully.

"It really looks like it belonged to a chicken, don't you think?" Harry answered Ron's question.

"It's worth a try…" Hermione shrugged and discussed with her group members the spells they should use. They had forty minutes to gain themselves some points for their House but it seemed that whatever the statue was, it was not a chicken.

Hermione was feeling very vexed. It so happened that her team had picked the most difficult object when Professor McGonagall happened to stop by their group. "It's not a statue, nor a chicken or a stone," Hermione whispered in frustration.

"How about an egg?" Ron suggested. Hermione gave a snort and they cast their spells. To Hermione's profound amazement, the statue with the wings was suddenly enveloped in a golden glow and it grew so bright that all of them were forced to turn away from the source of light. When the light dimmed, there, sitting on a red cushion was one chicken egg. Ron was staring at it stupidly. "That was just a joke!" He protested incredulously.

"Congratulations! Ten points each! Class dismissed!"

Harry and Hermione walked toward their bags and Harry lifted Ron's. His best friend was still staring at the egg. "Ron!"

"What? Oh… yeah… coming…" Ron shot a disgusted look at the egg before he retrieved his bag. Hermione was silent all the way. Only when they sat down at the table did she asked Ron why he thought of an egg.

"I dunno…" Ron said almost sheepishly. "It's just that you tried stone, rock and even limestone. So, the idea of egg just popped in my mind…" Hermione did not seem to be satisfied with his answer but dropped the subject when Neville came and sat down beside Harry, looking blankly at a cream puff.

"Hey, Neville. What's wrong?" Hermione asked him in a quiet voice. Neville did not answer. Fenix was suddenly there, as if she had just Apparated. Some of the students jumped; she however, took no notice of them.

"Neville?" Fenix laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. He looked up at her slowly; his eyes were still unfocused. "Come." He took her hand and they vanished.

"How come I'm having the feeling that something bad had happened?" Ron whispered uneasily. His friends did not know what to answer so they kept quiet, trying to gulp down the sudden feeling of alarm.

***********

Later that afternoon…

Hours passed and soon, wherever there were students, the place was surrounded by excited conversation. Harry and his group of friends were sitting around the Hall, surrounding Hermione who was holding a special edition of the _Daily Prophet_. They now understood why their friend had looked as he did during lunch time. It seemed that somehow the Dark Lord had found out about the transfer of the St. Mungo's patients and he had launched a surprise attack on patients and personnel alike. One Auror was down and several patients were killed; one of them was Neville's father, who had for a brief moment acted like the Auror he once was to protect his wife and killed several of the Dark Lord's followers with him.

Hermione was actually crying as she read it; nor was she the only one. There were some of them who were just too shocked to even let their tears flow. They seemed a bit surprised when they saw Fenix in the picture-- she looked a little strained, her face was displaying an expression of trying to suppress her tears as she helped to direct the volunteers about, and Healed those who had been injured. Harry wondered when on earth she had gotten there. They also saw several of the members of the Order. Moody, Tonks and several others were there in helping in the move and securing the area.

Those who had gathered about Hermione went and sat down on the nearest tables, looking silently at each other. Ron had one arm hugging Hermione and she wiped her tearful eyes. "What are we going to do? I mean… Neville will know that we already know… but I don't want to hurt him with sympathy." Harry closed his eyes and buried his face in his palms. Sensing that nobody would give them any kind of attention now, he decided to inform them of their latest addition to their family and also told them what Professor Dumbledore had told him about Professor Trelawney's prediction. Ron looked dumbfounded while Hermione looked at him with a terrified expression. She was repeating herself in a soft voice. "Four years…" Harry understood how she felt. Hermione had studied Muggle history too, and she probably understood the consequences of wars better than he could.

There was a clamor over the Hufflepuffs and others turned to look at them. Lee shouted, looking inquiringly at them, "Hey! What's going on with you?"

"We were just wondering if it would be better if we start training up for war," one Hufflepuff spoke up.

"Are you people mad? We could get killed, boy," a Slytherin lashed out suddenly.

"This is a school. Not some sort of an army," a Ravenclaw spoke up.

Harry stood up suddenly. "I agree with all three statements," he spoke up softly. "But we are not living in a century of peace right now. You have to be aware that the School may be attacked anytime now, since the Dark Lord's major opponents are present here. They have already attacked a helpless community-- injured wizards and witches. What makes you think they won't think of students as fair game?" The other students had no time to make any kind of rejoinder when Dumbledore's voice was amplified all about the school.

__

_ "Your attention please. Students and all staff. Please proceed to the Great Hall immediately. I repeat. Students and all staff please proceed to the Great Hall immediately."_ Silence descended quickly in the Great Hall.

"That sounded ominous enough," Ginny spoke up in a quiet voice.

The Hall was slowly filled with students and Harry finally saw the grim faces of the teachers. Neville still looked a little shocked and Harry was surprised to see that his grandmother was with him, looking very sorrowful. Harry's eyes scanned for Sirius. His godfather gave him a wan smile as he took a seat on the Gryffindor table, ignoring McGonagall's instruction to take a seat at the teacher's table. Fenix was looking really stressed; she kept rubbing her temple. Her partner and Snape seemed terribly worried about her and sandwiched her in between them, also ignoring some of the astonished looks that the rest of their colleagues were giving them.

The Headmaster walked unhurriedly toward the teacher's table. The Hall automatically fell silent as he moved but did not sit. Instead, he clasped his hands behind his back and looked gravely about the Hall, his eyes flashing with concern as his gaze rested on Fenix's head. She was the only one who was not looking at the Headmaster with curiosity, interest or trepidation. Dumbledore cleared his throat and spoke up in a soft voice. There was no need to project his voice out for the Hall was extremely silent. "I have requested all of you to assemble here for I have grave news that concern us all. I particularly have no wish to repeat myself and I apologize if I may seem to be blunt in addressing the current situation," his voice was dead serious. Everyone listened attentively.

"I am sure that by now, most of you have received the news about the attack on St. Mungo's Hospital," he paused for a moment and stared at the magical ceiling with a little frown. The ceiling was using the Headmaster's mood to create a gloomy atmosphere but at his determined will, and it took on a more cheerful scene. "I, as the Headmaster of the School and also the Ministry, had come to agreements that there will be no major exams. Also, I advise the students who deemed that studying in Hogwarts could be a little dangerous to submit their names to their respective Heads of Houses. I would not force any of you to stay behind the protection of the School any longer. But I would not deny that we are sorely in need of fighters." Professor McGonagall gave a little gasp and stared at the Headmaster in amazement. She did not realize that he would go that far to be blunt. The Headmaster continued speaking. "There is simply not enough of the… Old Blood to fight the Dark Lord and his mass of followers. You would be surprised to hear that he actually has three times of his followers than all of us put together. If you minus the students…" He let the students think about his assessment for quite some time before continuing.

"So although all exams have been canceled, lessons will be conducted as normal, but I could not promise you that you will graduate timely. We might have to retain you for a few more years…" Several students smiled faintly at his words. "Now as for the Quidditch matches this year," Everyone held their breaths. "We'll just see how it goes…" There was a chorus of disappointed sighs. "Professor Snape, McGonagall, Sprout and Flitwick, will now pass around a parchment and those who want out, feel free to write your names."

The Potions Master quickly conjured up a parchment and a quill, and briskly moved off to walk around the Slytherin table. Professor McGonagall came down to pass the parchment around and it did get passed around. The first-year Gryffindors shook their head and Aiden McIntyre passed it to Colin Creevey who passed it to his younger brother and so on. Nobody had signed on the parchment and all stared at Neville and his grandmother who was looking at him sternly.

"Write your name on it," his grandmother commanded.

"No," Neville responded and calmly got out of his seat, exiting out of the hall without another word and so the parchment continued making its way down the end of the Gryffindor table. The Founders of the School looked fondly at the grim-faced Gryffindors.

__

_ "They're a whole bunch of fools…"_ Salazar Slytherin smiled sadly at them.

__

_ "Brave… and reckless to boot…"_ Rowena Ravenclaw observed.

__

_ "But if they could help the School…"_ Godric Gryffindor said mournfully.

__

_ "Then we just have to guide them properly, I guess..." _Helga Hufflepuff concluded.

***********  


  



	43. A Weird Sunday

**~ Chapter 43: A Weird Sunday ~**

Sunday. 24th September. Down in the Potions Classroom…

It was ten-thirty in the morning and Harry was closeted with Draco in the Potions classroom as they sought to put their Vigilencia potion to its last stage. Harry was a little surprised to see Fenix down in the classroom when he came in. She however was not aware of the students' presence as she worked with her own cauldron, so intent in her potion making that she had created a shield to prevent any kind of interference. That same shield was irritating the Potions Master because he wished to see how she was doing but finally gave up. He had to admit to himself that she was as good at Potions just as he was. It grated a bit on his ego that she was able to administer the right amount of ingredients with no fumbling whatsoever.

The students and the Potions Master were all wearing masks in the room and Snape had barred the classroom door to prevent any kind of unwanted accident, while Harry and Draco were still in the process of pounding up their berries. Harry carefully scraped the finely pounded residues of the berries and placed it onto a sieve. Then, he began squeezing the filtrate using his spatula into a measuring cylinder. When he had exactly achieved the exact amount of the purplish filtrate, he carefully transferred it into a conical flask, and then carefully placed three drops of dragons' blood into the filtrate and began to mix the solution thoroughly.

Draco whistled absently at Harry and the latter passed the bottle of dragons' blood carefully over to the Slytherin, because that particular bottle was very expensive. Snape waited for them patiently, casually sitting on a student's desk as he gave alternate attentions from the students to the Fire Master. Fenix had already finished her concoction and was spending several minutes to magically sterilize the flasks that Snape had provided her. She then carefully poured the concoction she had mixed aseptically into the flasks. The Potions Master then paid careful attention to Harry since he was beginning to pour his filtrate into his cauldron. Harry had adjusted the heat that was heating up his cauldron and poured the solution directly at the center of his Vigilencia potion.

During those critical moments, Fenix had dropped her shield and accidentally sniffed in the aroma of Draco's berries and dragon's blood. She stared at Draco's back in alarm._ : Sev, : _Fenix called the Potions Master calmly. She felt a strange and peculiar heat building in her. Snape looked at her distractedly then his eyes flared wide when she stood there, shaking a little. _: I think I'm in trouble. : _And she was indeed in deep trouble.

There was a soft 'poof' coming from Harry's cauldron and Snape nodded his satisfaction when blue wisps of mist wafted up. He instructed the Gryffindor to transfer his potion into the black flask that suddenly appeared on his desk. Seconds later, Draco finished his. The Fire Master was carrying two of her flasks over to Snape's desk and she was careful not to look either at the Potions Master or the two students. But Snape chose that moment to approach from behind and her eyes were fixed on his lips when she turned back. She closed her eyes tightly and taking a deep breath, she thought about Remus. However, the image that popped in her mind was far too enticing and she laughed, trying to hide her embarrassment. She opened her eyes to see Snape's red face.

__

: I'm sorry about this, : Fenix apologized at the embarrassed Potions Master. _: Don't tell anyone though. I've finished the antiseptic potion and I think I better make a Jump before I have the opportunity to scandalize you or the students or Remus. : _The heat that was building in her was getting worse and she smiled at Snape before vanishing.

The Potions Master took a deep breath then turned back to his two students who were waiting expectantly at him. He nodded to them and they placed their flasks onto the desk and began clearing up the mess they had created. Snape decided to make a contact with Remus, who was probably having his breakfast about that particular time.

__

: Severus? : Remus questioned the Potions Master in surprise._ : What do you want? :_ the werewolf asked in a rather mild voice.

__

: Why don't you go down and look in on Fenix? She'll be at her office. What's Sirius doing? :

Remus's answer was accompanied by a sense of bafflement._ : He's probably sleeping. :_

: Good. Visit her then. : Snape released the link quickly and blocked his mind so that the werewolf could not get back to him. The Potions Master instructed both Harry and Draco to take their seats at the front desks and mercilessly began to drill them in the Potions tutorial.

***********

Remus went out of his office, thinking about his brief conversation with the Potions Master with puzzlement. He knocked on Fenix's door softly and to his surprise, the wolves literally fled out of the door and pushed him in, with Silver locking the door from the outside. Just like how they had guarded him when he transformed into a werewolf. He stared incredulously at the door and was pushed again, this time into the bedroom by unseen hands. Remus was totally surprised when he saw a very flushed-looking Fenix sitting on the bed dreamily. Her face bore a mixture of need, despair and amusement.

__

: Fenix, is there something wrong? : Remus asked worriedly, automatically going to her. She was licking her lips dreamily and was eyeing him in a very provocative way.

__

: Yes, there is something wrong with me. You shouldn't have come… Maybe after I turn normal, I'm going to kill Sev, : she spoke in a very sensual mindvoice and leaned forward, trailing her hand carelessly on his left leg. Remus was feeling slightly alarmed.

__

: What happened? : he asked slowly, firmly taking her hand away from his leg and held it tightly. Fenix's eyes were focused on his lips and then slowly looked down at his neck. He felt himself blushing hotly.

__

: I accidentally sniffed the berries of those Magnolia vines. It has some aphrodisiac properties. : Fenix suddenly was looking tearfully at him and pulled away violently. _: Go. :_ She was not looking at him as she lay down on the bed and pulled the covers up, preparing to sleep. Remus was sitting on the bed, looking at her with a tender smile._ Sirius is probably going to kill me, if he gets to know about it._

: Just make sure that he doesn't know about it then, : Krill's deep mindvoice echoed briefly in his mind, and Remus smiled roguishly as he deftly took off his shoes and his cloak. He carefully positioned himself beside Fenix, and lay on his side, carefully pushing her hair off her face.

__

: Fenix? : he whispered softly as he gave her ear a playful lick. She flinched back instinctively, feeling suddenly ticklish. The werewolf chuckled softly and carefully poked her so that she faced him, her eyes flashing dangerously. Her eyes flared in surprise when he gave her a passionate kiss and felt the heat in her exploded.

**********

The ghostly sorceress in the blue robe was giggling almost girlishly, while her companion looked at the couple with a slightly disapproving expression.

__

"They should have gotten a license first," Helga observed.

__

"It's not entirely her fault," Rowena pointed out. Her companion gave a sigh of sufferance and pulled her friend away from the room, leaving the couple alone.

**********

****

Lunchtime…

Harry had gone back up his dormitory to find a note attached on his table saying that his friends would all be waiting at the Hall and he sighed, deciding that he might as well wash up first. The Potions make-up lesson was very dry and he felt his head suddenly pounded, as if egging him not to think about lessons anymore.

Harry smiled briefly at the Ravenclaws that had gathered at the entrance of the Hall, and they hailed him cheerfully. Luna waved at him and he waved back, pausing at the door to scan for his friends. Sirius waved at him widely and it made him grin. Harry quickly hurried over to his godfather. There was a nasty scratch at the side of his neck and his godson noticed that his left wrist was bandaged.

"What happened?" Harry asked his godfather in a concerned tone and remembered that Fenix too, had also beard some angry looking scratches on her arms.

"Brief skirmish with the centaurs." Sirius shrugged indifferently.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Ginny asked in a light voice, looking at the dark shades under his eyes.

"How on earth can I sleep when my stomach keeps flipping around?" Harry's godfather asked sardonically, earning chuckles all over the table. Catcalls suddenly erupted over the Slytherin table, catching their attention briefly. Some of the first years were singing Alamanda a birthday song while the Slytherin girl looked strongly embarrassed at the attention they were giving her. Draco strutted forward, making his ex-girlfriend fume, giving the birthday girl a grandiose bow. He took out his wand and whispered _"Rosaraie lavande_." A bouquet of lovely purple roses popped out of his wand, with a white ribbon holding it together and he presented it gracefully to Alamanda. Loud cheers erupted in the Hall and some gave fairly piercing whistles. Even Neville gave a smile as he watched the Slytherin girl glowed with pleasure, and serenely accepted the flowers.

"I hope you were taking note, Ron," Hermione whispered and Harry felt pleased that she was wearing his gift. Ron looked at his partner with mild surprise.

"Before I forget," Sirius turned back to face them, "I am planning on a 'family'--," he made a hooking gesture with his fingers as he said that before continuing, "dinner in my office tonight. You guys are invited." He was looking at Neville as he said that. He casually gave his wand a wave and pointed it to Draco's direction and a small silver messenger bird zoomed off to whisper the invitation softly into the Slytherin's ear. Draco casually repeated Sirius's gesture and the messenger bird flew back to Harry's godfather.

It piped up Draco's answer musically. _"As if I want to torture myself with her very presence."_ Sirius breathed a sigh of relief and trusted Draco that he would not be bringing Parkinson's group along. Ginny suddenly piped up a question. "Where's Fenix and Professor Lupin? They really seemed like they've gone M.I.A."

Harry smiled faintly and that made Sirius immediately suspicious. "Do you know something that I don't?" His godson looked at him in feigned confusion and innocence.

"Like what?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes and tried to make contact with his best friend and his oathsister but both had blocked him from their minds. He was about to get up from his seat to make a surprise inspection when Snape firmly gripped his left shoulder and held him down. Harry gave Snape an inquisitive look and the Potions Master gave a very wicked smile that Sirius was not able to see but was able to feel.

__

: Don't tell me they are… : Sirius yelped and Snape winced at Sirius's incredibly loud mindvoice.

__

: It is her only remedy after all. : Snape casually flipped his cloak and sat down gracefully beside Harry's godfather.

__

: And what do you mean exactly by that? : Sirius asked curiously.

__

: You still remember Everina Mint? And berries? : The Potions Master asked him as he began eating his lunch.

Sirius scowled at Snape trying to connect his childhood crush with berries. He knew that Fenix went down to the dungeon straight after she took a bath and tried to recall what she would be making. It suddenly occurred to him that his godson was also there and recollected that Snape had tasked them with the making of Vigilencia. Sirius swore pungently, making Snape chortle softly. Hermione was looking expectantly at Harry but he shrugged, feeling that it was better for the two Defence teachers if he acted ignorant of the situation.

Their lunch was barely punctuated by conversation because it had begun to rain again and Harry sighed mournfully. Dean gave a whistle and jerked his chin upwards and Harry looked at the direction his friend had pointed. He gave a lopsided smile when Hedwig swooped down and flared her wings just as she landed on his shoulder gently. She maneuvered herself and promptly began to nibble on Harry's ear gently, making him flinch slightly from her cold, nimble tongue. Just moments when Hedwig landed, an excited shriek reverberated about the Hall and Pig zoomed straight for Ginny's chest. They heard several distinctive yowls at the Entrance Hall and Mrs. Norris fled in defeat at the much bigger Crookshanks. The cat grandly pranced into the Hall, head and tail held high and cutely twirled itself on Hermione's legs before abandoning her and jumped straight onto Snape's lap. The Potions Master looked hopelessly at the cat, which was curling itself on his lap. He gave a sharp look at the cat's owner and Hermione just shrugged, intent on finishing her own lunch.

**********

****

Fenix's bedroom…

The couple was staring deeply into each other's eyes and Fenix smiled almost wickedly at her partner. "Just like a pair of teenagers, aren't we? I can't imagine that I am being cloying." Remus chuckled and pulled her closer to him. She really felt good in his arms and he was just relishing the close contact he was having with her. Fenix felt a brief touch in her mind and she recognized that the touch belonged to Snape.

__

: Yes? : Fenix inquired calmly.

__

: Not preoccupied? : the Potions Master responded slyly.

__

: I wouldn't have answered if I was, would I? : she answered dryly, and gave her partner a significant look. He gave her a sidelong look and she asked Snape. _: What is it? :_

: You do know we would be having dinner in Sirius's quarters, don't you? : the Potions Master queried the Fire Master.

__

: And how on earth is he going to fit all of us in there? : she asked incredulously.

__

: There are ways… : Snape replied mysteriously and she gave him a quick mindslap, catching the Potions Master by surprise._ : And that is for your helpful service by sending Remus here. And are the wolves with you? :_

Snape was laughing softly to himself and looked around the Great Hall carefully. It was a moment before he noticed a pair of armored Knights near the entrance of the Hall._ : Yes… they're spying, I believe, : _he replied impudently and received a vehement protest from the female wolf.

__

: Spying? : the wolf protested indignantly.

Fenix chuckled and asked the Potions Master what he and the rest would be doing. Snape assured her calmly that he would keep Sirius out of her hair at least until dinnertime. The Fire Master chuckled impishly and kissed her partner briefly on his cheek._ : That's okay then. Who's coming? :_

: Harry's close friends and Draco and his gang. No Parkinson though. I believe it would be Alamanda Durz this time. :

Fenix gave a slow whistle. _: She certainly moves very fast, doesn't she. Now, Sev, if you don't mind, I'd like to pay attention to my Rem-- :_ She was quickly interrupted by the Potions Master whose mindvoice was colored slightly gray with embarrassment.

__

: Please, Fenix. I don't want to hear the explicit details, : Snape said in an aggravated tone. The bedroom was filled with her musical laughter and trailed off quickly when Remus intervened.

**********

****

Later in the evening…

Fenix took great care to dress up a little that evening. She was wearing a white flowing dress that went all the way down to her knees and she wore her black leather pants complete with black leather sandals. She tied her hair back into a high ponytail and left it at that, wearing only her earrings as accessories. The indirect effects of the berries had long since worn off, thanks to the Potions Master's intervention and she felt that she could look at other guys without going into the dreamy state she had found herself in that morning. She however could not wonder what her oathbrother might say, and she just shrugged to herself and proceeded to Sirius's office.

A very sheepish-looking werewolf opened the door and she gave him an inquiring look but he mouthed that everything was all right and ushered her in. She paused to examine the room wonderingly. Somehow, Sirius had managed to increase the size of the room to fit one very large dining table to fit sixteen people. Montague was staring at her with a stupefied expression and she gave him a baffled look. The Slytherin was just about ready to drool when Snape cleared his throat threateningly.

"She's too old for you."

"That's all right with me, sir." The student kept his eyes on her while the Gryffindors in the room smothered their laughter at Fenix's facial expression. Draco frowned slightly and jabbed his friend with his elbow._"Ouch!"_

Remus guided her over to seat opposite Montague and she bantered lightly with the Potions Master. "Too old you say," she said in a dangerous tone and sat down gracefully beside Alamanda. "No worries, Severus. You and your students are safe from me. I've already given my cap to someone and he had already accepted it." The table was filled with chuckles as Fenix gave a very wicked look at her partner, seated at the other end of the table. She scanned the table once more and found that Draco's usual bodyguards were not with them. She tilted her head inquiringly at the Slytherin prefect who interpreted her inquisitive look accurately.

"Keeping _someone_ off my back," Draco said shortly and she nodded her head as she grasped his subtle meaning.

Sirius came into the room and bestowed a brief kiss on her forehead before making his way down to sit opposite the Potions Master. The moment he sat down, plates of spaghetti appeared miraculously and the table was decorated with appetizers and the deserts were making her mouth water by just thinking about setting her teeth down on some of the sumptuous-looking desert. She eyed particularly at the apple strudel and licked her lips in anticipation.

Sirius looked at dinner guests and focused his attention mainly on Neville. The boy was strangely melancholy after his father's burial and the reality that his mother had regained her full memory and was functioning normally now had staggered the teenager to a high degree. Neville's grandmother was adamant that her daughter-in-law to be placed in her care immediately and it caused quite a commotion in the new location of St. Mungo's Hospital that the hospital staff quickly gave way to the old lady.

Sirius listened to Fenix as she informed the students who were present that they would be receiving their new timetable sometime later in the night, and was explaining about the sudden change to Hermione, who was looking a little worried. Knowing the girl, she was probably worried about redoing her study schedule. Hermione looked a little shocked when Fenix told them that the staff would be doing a little screening tomorrow.

"What kind of screening are we talking about?" Harry asked curiously and Sirius answered his godson's question though he pitched his voice so everyone would be able to hear him.

"Basically those who are staying behind are going to get screened by all of us-- meaning the teachers and Dumbledore tomorrow. So we wouldn't really have any kind of lesson tomorrow. Basically, our objectives would be to separate the students to specialize in a task." Sirius put down his fork to gaze solemnly at them. The students listened attentively to him. "So, please be prepared to handle the situation that you might get divided," Harry's godfather was looking solemnly at his godson's company. "The students would be separated into six divisions and to--"

"Hell with the Houses," Fenix interjected.

"Correct. I expect that Dumbledore would be giving the full briefing tomorrow. The six divisions are the Main, Paramedics, Rearguard, Defense, Attack and Reserves," Sirius informed them, and Ron gave a slow whistle. "I'm not going to give a more detailed explanation." He gave a warning look when Hermione started to open her mouth.

"Professor Dumbledore will explain it all to you tomorrow," Snape said patiently and they began eating again. Sirius decided that it was time to distract all of them from their thoughts by asking Fenix about her birthday. She looked quizzically at him and asked why he wanted to know.

"For fun…" Sirius shrugged and Fenix smiled broadly.

"It's much more fun if you guess," she said in a challenging tone. Sirius gave a nod of acceptance of her challenge. "Well, guess which season. But only two tries."

They had finished eating their main course and all were now going for their desert. Fenix's invisible assistants helped to serve them and meanwhile, most of them bore contemplative looks on their faces. Harry raised an eyebrow when Krill actually gave a larger portion apple strudel for her and she just gave him an impish grin.

"Summer," Ron hazarded but she shook her head.

"Winter," Sirius stated and she nodded. Now, they were left to guess which month of winter she was born. Hermione was thinking about something very hard but Harry had beaten her to it.

"I remember something about you being born under the Elder tree or something like that…" Harry mused and Fenix nodded at the clue.

Snape narrowed his eyes and carefully calculated mentally. _So she could either be born in November or December._ "December." Another nod from Fenix as she was halfway through her desert.

"Twelve," Remus absently spoke up. Fenix looked at him in surprise.

"Why that number?"

"No idea. It just popped into my mind," her partner shrugged. To everyone's surprise, she fell silent.

"Carefully file that into your memory, Moony," Sirius said casually.

His best friend gave a disdainful snort. "I do have a clear and perfect memory unlike _someone_ I know." Fenix chortled when Sirius stared at his friend with a mortified expression and they talked about more mundane stuff and temporarily forgot about the teachers' latest news.

**********


	44. Special Divisions

****

~ Chapter 44: Special Divisions ~

  
They were all lazily sipping down on Butterbeer, except for Fenix who was content with her mango juice when there was a knock on the door. Sirius stood up to check whom it was and gave an exclamation of surprise when he saw Charlie Weasley, accompanied by Moody and Vance.

"Charlie?" Ron stared at his brother and he smiled broadly at the Romanian Dragon Keeper.

"Hello, all! Dumbledore advised us that you all would be here," he paused and stared cautiously at the group of Slytherins among them. He pointedly looked at Fenix who just smiled enigmatically at him. "Is this her idea?" the burly Weasley asked Harry's godfather.

"Actually, the dinner was my idea," Sirius said modestly and casually conjured up three more chairs for the newcomers.

"So who's new?" Moody spoke up harshly, conjuring a mug of Butterbeer for him and his comrades while he eyed the Potions Master almost in a taunting manner. "Did you just stop at Snape?" His magical eye spinning to his left as he scrutinized Fenix.

"No…" she answered as she finished her glass of juice and it began to fill itself up magically again. She pointed her chin at Draco and Charlie spluttered. "So, everyone's all right?" Moody nodded and helped himself to the deserts that were still on the table.

"By the way, Fenix, Dumbledore wants to introduce you to someone. Were you the one who brought up that idea about the special units?"

"I can't take all the credit though," the Fire Master conceded with faint disappointment. "It just sprang up when I had a silent discussion with three unmarried men and a pair of wolves about an army." The Auror was silent but his face shined with his approval. "When does the Headmaster want me?"

"As soon as you're done with dinner. Go on up to his office."

**********

Tension was building in the room and Hermione signaled to her friends that they should leave the adults because she had observed that Charlie was getting a little restless and kept looking at Sirius most of the time. The students said their goodnights to their elders and the Fire Master accompanied them out, since she had to see Dumbledore.

"All right, Charlie. What's got into you?" Sirius spoke calmly. Vance held her hand up as she stared blankly at the space ahead of her and gave a wave of her wand. She nodded when the place was secure from prying eyes and eavesdroppers.

The Weasley took a deep breath and calmly reported that Hagrid and Madame Maxime had failed to bring the major giant clans around and Voldemort now already has them in his pocket. "And from Cathal's report-- that's one of Fenix's comrades-- and our own intelligence network, major confrontations could be expected to happen within the next few months. It will probably take them a while to move out."

Sirius nodded solemnly. "But you couldn't know. Giants can move very fast for all we know," he said in a warning tone and informed them of the news that had been passed on to Fenix by Aldren. "The elves are worried that Voldemort might also try to instigate trouble via the Muggle societies and also, their spies had reported that the Death Eaters have consolidated with some very dubious Muggles."

Vance chose that moment to add in her findings. "My people too, had found the Dark Lord's followers to be bringing in… scientists. I had wanted to discuss this with Maxwell since she knows more about this than we could ever will. We fear that this group of people will be helping the Dark Lord to invent weapons for his followers."

"Probably guns, I expect." Moody snorted.

__

: That is troubling news indeed. : Krill's deep mindvoice was grave._ : Please, tell me the exact location of this particular group. :_

Sirius was a little surprised by the determined mindvoice of Fenix's chief Elemental_. I thought they only do stuff if Fenix ordered them to_, Sirius thought to himself.

__

: Nothing but a facade, Sirius, : Krill answered only to him, and the rest looked at the slightly scowling Sirius curiously. _: And Fenix knows enough about us to understand that we are fighters in our own right. We are concerned with the outcomes of the war as well as you people do, : _the Salamander explained patiently. Emmeline Vance dubiously conjured up a map and placed it on the table, talking to the invisible character as she pinpointed the location of the Death Eaters' hideout.

__

: Aelwyn? : the Salamander requested his second-in-command politely.

__

: We're on it, : the Sylph replied, urgently communing with her kind.

Sirius gazed at Vance thoughtfully and queried, "Were you able to get more information on just what those 'scientists' were doing for Voldemort?" The woman shook her head regretfully.

"It was too risky for us. The place was exactly situated in a civilian area. And the police are just a few blocks away from their hideout." They were flattened almost immediately by the Sylphs' rush of alarm and anger.

"Krill?" Sirius demanded, his voice barking out harshly. To everyone's surprise, the Salamander swore.

"These people don't know what they're doing!" Krill's deep voice rang in the room angrily. "They're preparing a biological weapon. The Dark Lord has made a terrible mistake! Terrible indeed!" The Salamander vanished to inform Fenix about the new Situation.

Sirius was staring at the air in bafflement. He asked his best friend. "Did you understand any of that?" Remus was just as mystified as he was. Out of the five men and one woman, only Snape was looking very worried.

**********

Fenix had already reached Dumbledore's office and had already spoken the password _'Aurora Borealis' _and it was already swinging open when Krill suddenly appeared right before her. Her Fire Elemental was looking very agitated. The Headmaster was conversing quietly with another man and was about to hail her in when he caught sight of her horrified expression.

__

: I'm sorry, Albus. I have something to take care right now, :Fenix said apologetically before she vanished.

"Albus?" a man bearing almost a similar resemblance to the Headmaster inquired, peering at the empty door. "Where is the lady you wish to introduce me to?" Dumbledore gave a soft sigh and smiled at the other man.

"I'm sure she'll come back soon, when her work is done."

**********

Fenix popped in suddenly into the room, startling Sirius severely. She did not hesitate, quickly striding forward to the map and made Vance show the location again. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to recall some of her friends and fellow Mages who were living around in the district. She quickly dispatched the Sylphs to inform one policeman who was also an Earth Master about the illegal activities and asked him to seek the help of two elves and one lady who would be ideal to stop the construction. Sirius waited patiently and took a deep breath when she told them it might take a bit of time for the scientists to be nabbed by the authorities.  
  
"But how about the Death Eaters?" Sirius questioned her.

"The elves would take care of that and also, the elves will tamper with the memories of the scientists a little, just to be on the safe side," Fenix reassured him. "Now, I do have to go and see the Headmaster." She gave a brief smile at all of them and vanished off.

"Do you think it will be noisy?" Remus asked the thin air. He was referring to the situation about the Death Eaters.

"Noisy enough that Voldemort will notice that he's being suppressed," the Salamander replied. Sirius gave a crooked smile and refilled their mugs with stronger drinks.

**********

Fenix reappeared before Dumbledore's office and repeated the password. She stepped into the room and gave the Headmaster a little smile when he saw her. Dumbledore beckoned her to come closer and she was distracted momentarily when a flash of brilliant red suddenly landed on her shoulder. The Headmaster looked pleased as he watched Fawkes butting his head against her cheek for a scratch. The Fire Master chuckled softly and indulged the glorious bird.  
  
The two men in the office stood up and she slowly strode forward to meet the other wizard. Fawkes finally launched himself off to his perch and Dumbledore began his introduction. "Aberforth, this is the Fire Master, Fenix Maxwell. She is currently teaching Defence with Professor Lupin." The Headmaster then turned to her to introduce the stranger. He looked almost similar to Dumbledore, although his face was stern and hardened. His long gray hair and beard was combed neatly and he was clad in austere dark gray clothing. "And Fenix, this is my older brother, Aberforth Dumbledore."

Fenix gave her right hand for the other man to shake but surprisingly he bowed slightly and gave her hand a gentle kiss. "I am honored to meet you, lovely lady. But such a lovely exterior does very well hide that part of you that is cold." She was not really surprised by his words and gave him a small smile.

"It's in the genes," she said casually and the man guided her to a seat. "Will he be taking part in the spellcasting tomorrow?" she asked the Headmaster and he nodded.

"Yes, he is. Since he holds the famous black crystal that will enable us to help sort out the students," the Headmaster replied. The next hour or so was spent on letting Fenix and Aberforth feel each other out, as they discussed how they were to set the spell on hundred-over students. She was occasionally disturbed by the quick goodnights of her oathbrother, her partner and Snape while they were discussing and by the time the three had concluded their discussion, it was well after midnight. The Headmaster offered to escort her down but she gracefully declined the invitation, saying that she might as well take a bit of a walk. She bade Aberforth a goodnight as well and stepped out of the office.

The castle was strangely quiet, though she could hear the sounds of falling raindrops outside. She was wandering slowly downwards and gave a start when Sirius suddenly popped out of a dim corridor. She looked accusingly at him. "I thought you had already gone to bed."

"I can't really sleep," Sirius laughed softly, and they walked slowly to her quarters. "How is Neville doing?" he asked her, relying on her gift as an Empath.

"He is still feeling a little shocked. His mother is doing well though. It's surprising that she remembered every single detail that had happened to her after the first war, and still remain sane," she replied softly. "The loss of her husband might harden her in some ways," she informed her oathbrother. 

__

: I want to ask you something. I assume that Aurors and staff would be those who will head the divisions? : he asked, his mindvoice almost apprehensive. She gave him a curious look as she nodded her head and suddenly gave a sly smile.

__

: I'm placing you in charge of the 'Attack unit'. : And she quickly left her oathbrother for her quarters and blocked him out of her mind, to prevent any arguments. Sirius stared at the door with a stupefied expression.

__

: She was just kidding, Sirius, : Silver said comfortingly at him._ : The staff would also be subjected to the sorting spell tomorrow. :_

: But I won't be surprised if you get chosen to lead the unit. You've got what it takes, : his mate interjected in a condescending tone.

Sirius took a deep breath and walked to his office. He had already returned his office into its normal state and thought to himself. _Whatever will happen, it will happen. Have to see how it goes later in the morning._ He was deep in thought and carelessly kicked the door close and headed to his bedroom, kicking off his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt to change. I_ wonder if the Ministry sanctioned Dumbledore's move in making an army of students. But seriously, who else is left to fight the war? There were so many orphaned students in this school, and at least forty percent of them had lost their family members during the first war with Voldemort._ He carefully hung his shirt on a hanger and took out his sleeping robe and slipped it on. He sighed and flung himself down on his bed, staring at the ceiling and absently extinguished the candlelight lighting the bedroom. Thoughts about Harry filled his mind and he could not help thinking that maybe, he would not be able to cheat death in this war. He closed his eyes, trying to remember all of the occasions that he had spent with his godson. It was an image of Harry of flying beside him on his Firebolt that accompanied him to his sleep.

**********

****

In the Great Hall…

The atmosphere in the Hall over breakfast was restless as the students twitched with excitement. Ron suddenly nudged Harry with his elbow and nodded his chin at a familiar figure that was striding slowly toward the teachers' table. Several of the DA members that had visited the Hog's Head stared at him with round eyes, so filled with disbelief.

"He looks just like Dumbledore!" Harry whispered to his friends, his eyes not leaving the stern-looking man.

"Maybe because he is a Dumbledore," Hermione whispered urgently.

"Is that Dumbledore's elder brother? The one called--"

"Aberforth?" Hermione hazarded. "Highly possible."

The unknown man inclined his head gravely to the Headmaster and took a seat next to Professor Flitwick, his eyes scanning the Hall slowly. Fenix had already finished her breakfast, which was quite light actually, and Snape was constantly forcing her to eat more. She shot an annoyed look at him and Ginny's mouth curled up in a smile when she saw the unobtrusive argument between the Fire Master and the Head of Slytherin House.

__

: Snivellus, stop that. I think it's inadvisable for her to eat too much before the spellcasting. You could shovel all the food in her later, though Remus would probably object, : Sirius informed the Potions Master. Snape gave Fenix an indescribable look and stopped conjuring more pancakes for her. An hour later, Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat, and all traces of conversation instantly stopped.

"I seem to have a lot to apologize for," the Headmaster said lightly and he apologized to the students for involving them in the war with Voldemort. Several of the students shook their heads, and a representative from Hufflepuff stood up and spoke to him in a clear voice that they were all aware of the need of involving themselves and of the consequences that may come out of it. The Headmaster bowed his head in gratitude and proceeded to explain to the students just how they would be sorted into the specialized units. "So as not to make you panic, the staff would get to be sorted out first, and they would be the ones to head each respective divisions." The staff of Hogwarts got out of their seats to stand in a circle at a space that had been cleared up specifically for their use.

The presumable Dumbledore's older brother moved to the center of the staff table and Harry noticed that he was holding what looked like black crystal to him. It was irregular in shape and the wizard was carefully balancing the crystal in his palms and it hinted that it did not have a flat base. The Headmaster and Fenix moved to stand at each side of him, fingertips touching the crystal's surface. The students watched excitedly, forgetting to breathe momentarily. Harry felt his face turning blue and reprimanded himself. _Remember to keep on breathing._

Minutes passed and nothing seemed to happen. Just when Harry was about to think that maybe their spell was not working, colored mists began to form on some individuals. A few moments passed and by now, the colors that had surrounded some of them were already distinctive. Peculiarly, the librarian, Professor Trelawney, the teachers teaching Arithmancy, Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes, Firenze, Hagrid, Madam Hooch and Professor Sinistra did not sport any of the color. The Headmaster who was shrouded in a pale orange mist instructed those who have no mists to get back to their seats.

Dumbledore and Fenix had broken their contact with the crystal but the mists were still glowing strongly. The Headmaster spoke up again in a clear voice, "I'm sure all of you can see that some of your teachers have mists clouding them, they themselves however could not see the mists clouding them, but are able to see the colors of their neighbors. The colors represent the six divisions." Out of nowhere six square platforms appeared, various points in the Great Hall. "So, blue is for the Reserves." Kingsley Shacklebolt and Charlie moved off toward the platform situated near the entrance of the Hall and Kingsley labeled the air above it, 'The Blues-Reserves'.

The Headmaster nodded in approval at the Auror's innovation and looked at Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey, both enveloped in bright green mists. "Green is for the Paramedics." The witch and the nurse moved off and Dumbledore continued, "Black, the Rearguards." Moody and Vance moved off for a platform. "Silver, Defence." Professor Lupin moved off. Although the Fire Master was enshrouded with the silver mist too, she did not move and Harry thought it was because she may be needed to cast the spell on the students. "Gold, the Attackers." Snape and Harry's godfather took the nearest platform near the Hufflepuffs. Sirius managed to give a look of irritation at his oathsister before he climbed the steps of the platform and gave his wand a flick, and an ostentatious banner floated above his head. Snape gave him a disgusted look while he just gave the Potions Master an oblique look.  
  
"Yellow, the Main." And Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick got up to the platform just right in front of the teachers' table. Turning to Fenix, he questioned her calmly, "What color am I, of course, assuming that I do have the mist covering me?" Several students chuckled heartily.

"Yellow…" Fenix said softly. "You're silver by the way," she informed Aberforth. Dumbledore's brother gave a faint sardonic smile. The Headmaster then looked gravely at the students.

"If you don't mind, please stand up. We'll clear up the tables in a moment." The moment the words left his mouth, the students jumped up clear of their seats, making Fenix smile briefly at their eagerness but a shadow of sadness descended on her. "You will feel a strong pull to go over to either of the six stands where your teachers with the same colored mist are standing."

Fenix placed her fingertips back onto the black crystal and merged her mind with the two other casters and interacted with the ancient stone. The process took much longer as the stone slowly assessed the personalities of more than a hundred students at one go. About fifteen minutes of listless standing, more and more of the students were beginning to get enveloped by the various colored mists.

Sirius was watching the Gryffindor table carefully and watched Neville Longbottom going over to Professor McGonagall while Hermione, Harry and Draco who were covered with bright golden mist, slowly walked forward to the platform where he and the Potions Master were standing. Susan Bones, a Hufflepuff whose almost an entire family was killed by Death Eaters was looking extremely enthusiastic when she felt herself moving along toward where Harry had gathered. Time passed by and finally all the students were sorted out-- even Crabbe and Goyle, although Crabbe was in the Main but Goyle was over with the Paramedics.

The Headmaster spoke up, "You will now be the specialized units of the School's Army. Although you are divided into six groups, you will have to work with each other as each of the groups depends is dependent on the other. Now, no classes will be conducted today so you are free to spend your time wisely. We'll assemble here at five sharp in the evening, to brief you what you could expect from your new set of education." Dumbledore muttered _'Finite'_ and the clouds of mist disappeared. He beckoned the teachers with him as they prepared to proceed with a meeting, and the students were left to plan what they could do with six free hours.

**********


	45. Illuminations

**~ Chapter 45: Illuminations ~**

  
Gryffindor Tower. The boys' dormitory…

The bedroom that was shared by the four boys was quiet, though two girls and an additional boy were in with them. Crookshanks was resting above Hermione's abdomen while she rested her head on Ron's lap. Dean was playfully braiding Ginny's waist-length hair as she cuddled Pig. Harry stifled a sigh at the unbearable silence that had filled the room. It was expected, feeling that his friend Ron was greatly surprised that Hermione was covered in golden mist but he was not with her. Both Dean and Ginny got themselves chosen for Defence with Luna, while Parvati and her twin were in the Main. They had found out that most of the first years were in the Reserves, except for Alamanda who was in the Paramedics and Jude Howell, who was in the Attack group. Ron was very silent, making Hermione glance at his freckled face often.

It really came as a surprise to Ron that he, together with Seamus, Lee Jordan, Montague, Dina and her boyfriend, Justin, were chosen into the Rearguards. The Weasley was deep in thought, worrying about the dangers Hermione might face in the future. The bushy-haired Granger suddenly turned pensive and said in a very quiet voice. "Do you want to know something, Ron?" Her question caught the attention of the people in the room and Ron's ears turned a little red with embarrassment at being the central attention. "I think whatever you will be doing will be much more dangerous." She sighed, scratching Crookshanks's chin, making the cat purr with bliss at the attention.

"She may be right," Neville spoke up. That was a good sign because it was the first time that he had talked to them ever since the attack on St. Mungo's. Ron looked at him for an explanation, and Neville cleared his throat uneasily. "I'm just guessing but I think you will work very closely with the Paramedics and Defence. I know I'm grasping at straws," he conceded when Ron was just about to speak up, wanting to know just what exactly his friend was trying to say. "The idea just stood out in my mind. Rearguard, it's like guarding the rear to ensure that the rest could retreat safely… or something like that." Hermione nodded her head at Neville's assessment.

Seamus gave a soft whistle. "That sounds like a lot of responsibility…" Harry sighed and stood up from where he had been sitting on the floor to flop onto his own bed. He had already taken off his shoes and reached out for the new timetable. Not surprisingly, the schedule had been alternated again.

"You guys ought to check your timetable. It looks like it is changing again. And there seem to be two new subjects on my schedule," Harry informed them then gave a long sigh. "We're having classes all the way to seven."

"You're joking," Ginny exclaimed in disbelief.

"I dunno, but maybe your schedule won't be the same as ours," Harry said in reassuring voice. The sighs from his friends echoed all around the room and Harry fell into a light doze.

**********

The meeting between the Headmaster and the rest of the teachers continued for about three hours, with most of them taking careful notes that Dumbledore had highlighted. He had informed that for every Thursday afternoon, there would be lectures and joint exercises for the six divisions to work together as one unit. That meant that the teachers had to plan what they would be doing in advance.

Fenix happened to make an observation sometime during the meeting. "Is there any chance that a siege might be laid to the castle?" Blank and surprised looks were exchanged all around the table except for Aberforth, who was gazing at her intently.

"Nothing is impossible," he said quietly. His answer seemed to satisfy her and the wheels in her mind began turning at a fast motion as she began making contingency plans in her head. Dumbledore gained their attention once more and began making some suggestions as to what they could teach their students during the three hour periods on Tuesdays, which was specially dedicated to train each division. This was what Sirius, Snape, Remus and Fenix were discussing silently as they all headed to Fenix's bedroom for a brief rest while they get something planned for their lessons on both Tuesday and Thursday.

"Fenix, I think it's a mistake that you've placed me to lead the students," Sirius almost yelled in frustration as he took off his shoes and threw himself on the bed.

"Speak for yourself, Black. I haven't been in my combat mode for decades," Snape answered sharply, sitting tentatively at the foot of the bed. Remus maneuvered to the other side and sat cross-legged on it. Fenix crawled onto the bed and sat beside the werewolf, casually pulling Snape's shoulder down. The Potions Master relented and rested his head against on her lap. Remus gave a feigned jealous look at his partner, who was caressing the Potions Master's black hair fondly. She gave a crooked smile at the werewolf, and sighed contentedly as she leaned against him.

"Sirius, Sev, you know it wasn't I who chose you, neither was it Dumbledore nor his brother. It's the nature of the stone to measure your strength and witnesses. And Sirius, you were actually with a silver mist for a moment, before it changed to gold," she informed her oathbrother. "But I guess that you must have the brains to launch attacks on your opponent. I'm sure that the Assailants would do well under both of your supervision," she said with a smile, then fondly looked down at the Potions Master. _: You need a haircut by the way. And what kind of hair cream are you using, Sev? : _she asked teasingly, earning a very sharp look from the reclining Potions Master.

__

: Are we gathering information as to what we should teach the students or are we going to discuss on what I use to keep my current hairstyle? : he asked scathingly while Fenix looked at him cheerfully.

__

: Oh, well… : Fenix pretended to be disappointed. _: Business then… but we'll get to your hair after that, :_ she said seriously. Snape slammed a soft fluffy pillow at her face, making her laugh. "I was joking!" she protested, refusing to give the pillow back to the Potions Master. Sirius and Remus both were thinking deeply and finally broke off from attention when Snape spoke up.

"Dumbledore did say we ought to start with something that both the 'Assailants' and 'Defenders' should start with something common," he contemplated.

"Maybe… Patronuses?" Fenix piped up and the three men nodded. "But what's going to be the guinea pig?"

"Boggarts?" Sirius turned over, his eyes looking thoughtful.

"If we can find one and persuade it to look like a Dementor," Remus agreed.

"I remembered what some of the students did to ward off the Dementors that night. I wonder if they could also use the Patronus Charm against someone instead of some what." Her voice trailed off as she pondered.

"It's possible," Remus answered with a smile and gave them a brief account on what happened during a Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw during Harry's third year of school. Fenix nodded once in a while and formulated several plans in her mind, putting them away carefully in her memory so she could examine the plans later.

"I would also suggest practicing the Shield Charm for the two of you," Snape inclined his head up to look at Fenix and then Remus. He had noticed that every time the group spent their time briefly just to have a chat or gathering. He felt strangely refreshed and renewed. The werewolf nodded once and requested if Fenix could throw some fireballs at the students in order for them to deflect it. She nodded her agreement but warned that she could not possibly do it too often, and she prudently added if they modified the spell to something like the spell that they had taught the students on the very first day of school, resources could be saved. And if it was possible, they might teach the students to turn their defensive shield into a weapon _en bloc_.

"Because bear in mind, if it's really a case of an emergency, some of them won't have the concentration to hold up their shields. We ought to think about this, Remus. Maybe for next Monday's D.A.D.A lesson," the Fire Master suggested and the four continued to debate on what kind of spells they could use in defence or attack as they planned for their lessons until it was time for them to go down to the Hall again.

**********

****

In Harry's dormitory…

Ron was shaking him lightly on his shoulder and he finally roused. He was still wearing his glasses and took them off to rub his eyes briefly before putting them back on. He looked at his watch. It was fifteen minutes to five. His friend told that Hermione and the rest were waiting for them at the common room while Harry washed himself up first before joining them.

They were silent as they went down to the Entrance Hall, bumping into Warrington. He gave a casual nod then ignored them, as he waited for Draco and the rest. Pansy Parkinson and some of her friends, which included Millicent Bulstrode, had already left Hogwarts for their own sanctuary. Much to the relief of everyone. To no one's surprise, Sirius and the rest of the company were back to sitting at the table where Harry and his friends usually sat. The students seemed to accept the slightly nicer behavior of the Potions Master with calm, and there were even rumors of some students having a crush on Snape, which was not really a laughable matter. _Now that he isn't intending to be the biggest bully in school, he is rather… nice._ Harry gave Sirius a broad smile and sat beside him.

"Hello," Fenix greeted them cheerfully, indicating Neville that he should take a seat beside her. "How's everyone feeling?"

"Weird…" Ron said truthfully.

"But kind of… cool." Dean supplied, as he sat down beside Ginny. He suddenly jerked back in surprise when thick scrolls suddenly appeared in front of every student, including the staff. "What's this?" he asked curiously and began untying the ribbon fastened on the scroll. He suddenly chuckled lightly under his breath. "I thought he wanted to personally brief us!"

The students all faced the Headmaster who was looking slightly sheepish. The Headmaster took his wand out and whispered something quietly. He held his wand like a microphone and after several moments of apologizing to the students, then halted when his elder brother motioned him to stop talking and pointed his chin at his audience. A huge part of the audience was trying to stifle their giggles but was failing rather miserably.

"Never mind, Professor. We get the idea that you've lost your voice. We'll be good and read your written briefing!" one student from Hufflepuff spoke up. The rustling of scrolling down the scrolls filled the Hall as each of the students referred to the section that he was under although it was also necessary for them to read the other five divisions.

Harry read the section for those under 'Attack' carefully. It said in the scroll, that the Assailants would be the specialists in planned brief skirmishes, to try to cause major disruption in the enemy lines and retreating back as quickly as possible. "Hermione, I do think that your specialty might rather come in handy." His friend looked at him absently while Fenix looked inquiringly at them.

"What specialty?" Fenix asked and Hermione gave a very uneasy glance at all of them, especially to the Potions Master.

"I believe it was called the Bluebell flames. Isn't that right, Miss Granger?" Snape asked silkily. Hermione groaned as she remembered her first year in Hogwarts, who suspected that it had been the Potions Master who had tried to kill Harry. Fenix looked at her in amusement when the young woman's face turned scarlet.

"Hermione's able to conjure waterproof fire," Ron said shortly, intently reading his segment. After Harry had read his section, he scanned the scroll for the Rearguards and found that Neville's previous assessment back in the dormitory was not far from wrong. Since the Assailants would also have the Defenders watching their backs, the Rearguards would ensure that their opponents remain clear of the Defenders' backs.

The Main would be responsible for causing major blows to the opponents en masse and it was the responsibility of the Assailants and the Defenders to let them have enough time to put everything together before they would be able to launch their attack. Fenix chose that particular moment to explain something to them, but only after she had called Draco over to them and spoke to the company using mindspeech. The Slytherin looked curiously at her as he sat down beside the Potions Master.

__

: I wish to make something clear to you. Don't think that Dumbledore's handing you the dangerous stuff all to you, all right? Some of your teachers might feel it's better if you're ignorant of this, : she stared suggestively at Remus as she said this, and somehow, it seemed that Aberforth was aware of what she was trying to do because he gave her a nod of approval. _: But I think otherwise. It's just that you people have the higher chances of survival rather than, say Parvati or Lavender, or perhaps, Goyle. Most of you had experienced Death Eaters-- except for this one of course-- :_ Fenix gazed significantly at Snape, then continued, _: or Voldemort in one way or another. You are able to react to danger better than anyone else could, although it will take quite some time for us to polish that skill to its maximum. And I hope that we would be able to train you well. I certainly have no intention of sending anyone straight to Death's arms without any kind of courtship. : _She looked sadly at them, her eyes mainly gazing on Harry and Draco. None of them liked that, as if she had seen something that she had not expected. _: Gods, I'm sorry. I did not mean to get you all so gloomy. :_ Fenix gave a little forced laugh but Draco, Harry, his godfather, Snape and Remus stared at her with open concern.

Dinner went on as usual; the students somehow seemed more revived and determined. The Headmaster was able to watch his students in contentment and concluded that bringing the Fire Master into Hogwarts was a good thing indeed, since students were seated all over the four Houses. Only their badges on their cloaks differentiated them from the other. To his amusement, some of the staff was not able to cope with the idea that the Potions Master was acting like a very stern uncle instead of a man with a heart of stone, the Divination teacher especially. He suddenly managed to glimpse a very melancholy look that Fenix gave the Slytherin prefect before quickly hiding it with conversation.

"That's because she has the feeling that the boy will indeed become an orphan, not just a disowned one," Aberforth spoke softly to him. Dumbledore gave him a surprised look. His brother gave a crooked smile. "You forget, Wulf, that I do have a bit of a Seer in me." The Headmaster nodded gravely. "And Wulf, think about what the lovely lady did say during the meeting. Even the strongest enchantments might be broken. Heed my words, Wulfric."

**********


	46. Fenix's Patronus

**~ Chapter 46: Fenix's Patronus ~**

  
Just before another informal meeting…

Sirius could not help himself as he repeatedly gave Fenix several surreptitious glances all the way through their dinner, but otherwise he remained silent. He was so engrossed in his own thoughts that Harry had to give him a sharp jab in between his ribs to catch his attention. 

__

: Sorry, Harry. I've been woolgathering. : Sirius gave him a chagrined look but his godson just shook his head slightly. 

__

: I don't blame you if you're thinking about the melancholy looks that your oathsister had been subjecting some of us _for the past hour. She's making me a little nervy, : _Harry spoke lightly and his mindvoice took on a more cheerful frequency. _: By the way, Sirius, do you have any idea what B.F.S. means? : _he asked hopefully but sighed when his godfather gave a small frown and shook his head. "Anybody in this company know what B.F.S. means?" Harry asked almost in an exasperated tone. 

Fenix tilted her head to a side and rattled out. "Basic field surgery." Ron gave a baffled look at her and asked her in a curious tone why did they have to study that. She gave a small smile as she answered the Gryffindor Keeper. "Just in case mass casualties have occurred somewhere. The concerned people might-- as a last resort-- persuade the School to deploy some of you to help," she said in a light tone. Comprehension dawned on the students' faces and they finished their dinner in silence. 

"So…" Harry paused as he drank his pumpkin juice, "Madam Pomfrey would be teaching us this?" The Fire Master nodded and also told them that Professor Sprout would also be with them. 

"Actually, it's also to be considered as a Joint Exercise," Snape provided lazily. 

"You mean the whole school?" Ginny asked and the four adults nodded their heads. That meant the only place the lesson could be carried out would be in the Hall. "Then what about the lessons tomorrow?" She looked pointedly at Sirius and the Potions Master while the two men looked back at Remus and Fenix. The latter just looked at the men and briefly told the students that they would be told before nine or if possible, earlier than that. 

"So then you'll have to excuse us and we'll discuss this with your teachers," Fenix said cheerfully, tugging Remus up to his feet and beckoned to the other two men. The Fire Master was looking seriously at the Potions Master as they walked, whose forehead creased a little as he gave his comments via mindspeech. 

Hermione was strangely quiet. She seemed to be pondering about something. She began slowly. "I had just noticed something. Hogwarts have many strong magical enchantments that prevented anyone for Apparating or Disapparating. So how come Fenix can do that?" 

"But she isn't exactly Apparating, is she?" Harry pointed out gently. "But you know, if Fenix had found ways to do it, would it be possible for her magic to be duplicated?" His face became worried mercurially, but in the end he shrugged, sighing. 

Draco looked pensively at him. "I wish my life was less complicated. Why do I have to be born as the same century as you do, Potty?" 

"Why are you looking at me, Drake? As if I have the power to prevent my parents from having me," Harry said sardonically. 

**********

__

: So how? : Fenix asked them for the fourth time that evening. They were back in the bedroom, resuming their previous positions. She looked at the direction of the door and was not surprised to see Moody barging his way unceremoniously into the bedroom. He conjured a comfortable chair and sat down, looking at them expectantly. "What's up, Mad-eye?" she asked curiously. 

"I felt that it would be better if the three divisions have the same kind of class tomorrow. For at least about one hour, before we split into groups," Moody explained patiently. Remus however looked dubious. 

"But do we have enough space for all the students?" he fretted. 

Moody gave an indifferent shrug. "We could always use the pitch." All four heads nodded. 

"We would be doing Patronuses tomorrow," Snape informed him, and Moody nodded in approval. 

"Right. Patronuses for an hour, and then the rest of the two hours?" 

"Physical exercise," Fenix answered in an almost mischievous voice. "Then, we'll ask the students to practice the Shield Charm and Stunning, I expect." She looked at her partner who nodded solemnly. "I want to try something with the students later in the next few weeks and then see if Harry could still duplicate my shield. That would be very useful in protecting the injured." 

"Creating a physical barrier?" Moody asked doubtfully. "The students could do that?" 

Fenix smiled mysteriously. "Never try, and you probably will never know. I've noticed that the spells they're learning like the Shield Charm, only deflect hexes and the like, but not against physical objects. So I guess, we might have to do with some experimentation. The shielding spells that Remus and I had taught the students only worked as an individual, but not as a group." 

"I wonder if the twins might be useful," Sirius said absently. 

"Hmmmm?" Fenix looked curiously at him, wondering if his thought was related to her sentence. 

"Well, whatever resources that could be useful…" her oathbrother replied evasively. She narrowed her eyes and a sudden wicked grin appeared. 

"Do you remember that Compression hex Fred threw at George while we were staying at The Burrow?" Fenix asked, her voice filled with amusement, while Sirius and Remus struggled to contain their mirth. Snape was looking at them impatiently. "That really would absolutely cause a major distraction." 

"Why don't I see if I could get the twins to explain how the twins created the hex?" a silvery voice belonging to one of Fenix's Sylphs spoke up. 

"We should have gotten you a wand," Sirius suddenly said. 

"Don't worry, Sirius. I already have one," she answered in an almost bored voice. Remus just looked at the company with interest, watching his best friend's reactions.

"Is it a real wand by the way? Because I think, it would be better for you to learn how to summon a Patronus as well." Her oathbrother pestered her. She shot a disgusted look at him and got out of her bed, going straight for a drawer where she had kept most of her knives. She took out a black case of about eleven inches long. She crawled back to the bed and opened the case with a peculiar smile on her face. Her presumed wand was wrapped in black silk and she opened the folds of the black silk carefully, and the three men in the room all gathered close to peer into the case. 

Snape nearly did whistle, which was highly uncharacteristic of him, when Fenix revealed a glossy wand of oak and hawthorn of about ten inches. Fenix gave a soft laugh at his expression and carefully lifted her wand. "Well, it's old, but I wouldn't trade this one for a new wand. It's old, but powerful." The Potions Master jerked back a little when the wand suddenly shot out a wisp of blue mist. She looked slightly sheepish and apologized for startling Snape. "I almost forgot that he used to do that when I've abandoned him a bit too long." 

"All right, I give up. But why on earth do you still keep your wand when you don't really need it?" Sirius questioned her in bafflement. 

"So now you're telling me I don't need the wand?" she shot back acidly and her oathbrother gave up at that point. She was about to place the wand back when Snape held out his hand, eyes almost pleading with her. She gave him a puzzled look but gave him her wand for inspection. 

__

: I never would have dreamed that I'll have the chance to see you fumble like a student tomorrow, : Snape said in a teasing tone as he felt the wand's weight and the sense of old power that was embodied in it. 

__

: Be nice. : Fenix flinched at his entirely correct assessment and Sirius suddenly let out a bark-like laugh as Snape commented to him privately. She just gave both of them a lofty look, and leaned back against Remus. Then her melancholy mood returned and she sighed softly. "I just hope we have enough time to prepare the students." 

**********

****

Twenty minutes to nine… 

Fenix was feeling a little restless and informed her two wolves that she would be doing some exercise. They had all informed their students to gather round the Quidditch Pitch for their afternoon lesson at four, if the weather was clear. If it happened to rain, they would gather in the Hall. Somehow, due to her excellent timing, she bumped into a lone Malfoy as he headed out of the library. He stepped back in surprise when he first saw something totally dressed in black but when she stepped into the dim candlelight, he let out a deep breath. 

"Draco, you shouldn't be alone," Fenix said softly. 

"What are you doing? Dressing up all in black?" the young man questioned her as she escorted him down to the Entrance Hall. 

"Feeling restless, so I'll be doing a bit of exercise outside to calm my nerves," she confessed. 

"Isn't that a little dangerous, Fenix?" Draco asked her seriously and paused at the entrance of the narrow staircase. She gave him a reassuring smile. To his embarrassment and surprise, she slowly gave him an embrace, and as she was shorter than the boy by almost two feet, she conveniently pressed her cheek against his chest. 

"Draco, you've got friends now. Ones you could count on," she whispered, making the Slytherin more confused than ever. She suddenly let go of him and moved off quickly out to the Grounds. Then there was a faint whisper in his mind, _: Love you, Draco. Just like I love Harry. : _He stood frozen there until Filch came by with Mrs. Norris trailing behind. Automatically, Draco descended the staircase, trying not to feel shaken by Fenix's sudden confession._ I should go to bed and sleep until it's time for me to wake up. Trust_ _Dumbledore to complicate matters by bringing in this strange woman,_ he thought resolutely to himself, but he could not block out the whisper that lingered in his mind. 

**********

****

Tuesday, 26th September. 

Harry was struggling to keep his concentration on changing his half-pincushion, half-hedgehog back to its original state. Ron was having a much more difficult time than he was; his friend had accidentally mispronounced his incantation and instead of having two species bound together, he had three. His hedgehog/pincushion had a lion's tale and McGonagall was lamenting and gesticulating to herself, wondering how on earth her student had managed to garble the recitation. 

Harry abandoned his subject for a moment to close his eyes briefly and to take several calming breaths. When he felt that his head was not about to feel as if it had been crammed full of information, he recited the formula once more. There was a soft 'poof' and his hedgehog was again whole and was resting on its soft velvet cushion, looking at Harry expectantly with its small, black beady eyes. He slipped his hand into his pocket and fished out a tidbit that the hedgehog seemed to be fond of and fed it to the hedgehog. It shyly reached out for his treat and began munching it steadily as Harry carefully picked the hedgehog and placed him back in his cage. 

Hermione had already changed her mis-transfigured hedgehog back nearly forty minutes ago, which was practically the beginning of the Transfiguration practical. She was helping McGonagall help some of the other students and presently, she was carefully reciting the magical formula to Ron who was listening attentively to her. He repeated the incantation after her and he changed his subject to its previous form-- minus the lion's tail. Harry watched his friends in detached amusement and took out his pocket watch. It showed eighteen minutes to four. Finally, he heard the soft puff coming from Ron's direction and it was time for him and his friends to head down to the Quidditch pitch. 

The group of students separated as they all scrambled to get to their respective Towers to dispose their bags and their school robe. Fenix had specifically warned them that they might need to do a bit of tumbling during their special electives. Harry paused for a moment to look out the window of his bedroom and concluded to his friends that they would be heading for the pitch since the sky looked pretty clear to him. They made their way down to the common briskly, with Ginny helping Hermione to braid the bushy hair into something less than a distraction. Both the girls were dressed in loose turtlenecks, which they carefully tucked into their skirts, and were also wearing a pair of shorts. Dean and his best friend, Seamus, were betting on whether or not Fenix would loosen her fireballs on them for their current lesson as they trooped out of the Tower for the pitch, their lines merging with the Slytherins as they reached the Entrance Hall. 

**********

****

At the Quidditch pitch… 

The six instructors were waiting patiently for the students. Fenix was wearing dark blue for that day and equipped with her dark-blue Nike shoes. They had specifically warned the students not to wear their school robes for they were bound to run a lot that morning-- after dealing with the Patronuses. Silver and Wind were seated calmly at the pitch, scanning their surroundings. The Fire Master had already cast a magical shield from intrusion or spies. If there were any spies at all, they would only see an empty Quidditch pitch. The Fire Master was being very cautious, constantly turning her head at the direction of the Forest. 

__

: Nervous? : Sirius came and stood next to her, looking expectantly at the gate. She gave a curious look at him. 

__

: Nervous for what? : 

__

: At making a fool of yourself. Because, I think you're the only one who doesn't know how the Patronus work, : Sirius said with a straight face, and she glared at him. 

__

: I'll let that pass bro. : She almost hissed, but regained her composure when the students began to pass through the gates. 

Sirius, dressed all in black almost seemed to be an extension of the Potions Master. He was watching the gates carefully, counting heads as the students entered, smiling a little as he caught sight of Harry's jet-black hair and found that there were exactly thirty of the students. He noticed that the group was mainly made up of students of Harry's year. There were no second or third years among them, and he was surprised when he saw four of the first years-- Jude Howell, Miranda Arawn, Aine Moonbeam, and Jeff Howard. _I wonder what they had gone through their childhood, _he asked himself silently. 

Automatically, the students separated themselves to their three divisions and waited for instructions from the teachers. Somewhat to Sirius's surprise, the students were equally divided among the three divisions. Remus moved to the front a little-- six of them had agreed that he should be the one to address them as he was technically the perfect candidate being the Defence teacher. The werewolf cleared his throat uneasily. 

"Good afternoon, everyone. First, I would like to inform you that the first thing we'll be doing is to practice the Patronus charm. I don't expect you to succeed in this spell immediately, but be assured that being in this select groups, you would be able to. Miss Maxwell here," he jerked his head back casually at Fenix, "will be joining you in conjuring up a Patronus." 

"What on earth for?" Neville asked quizzically. 

"Subterfuge." Fenix shrugged. "If I act like the rest of the students, which is quite easy to do by the way, we'll have the element of surprise if someone mistook me for being an amateur." Her eyes twinkled mischievously at the batch of students. "I sound like a pompous fool, don't I? Anyway let's get to practice. You do know how to conjure the Patronus, yes?" She looked at the students and the teachers began to methodically spread them out. 

"Do act as if you have a horde of Dementors before you, all right?" Remus called out to them. 

For some reason, Snape had attached himself closely to her and she cast a look of sufferance at the blue sky above her. She closed her eyes to concentrate on a happy moment, which was the day she had found out about her gifts._ "Expecto_ _patronum."_ A faint silver wisp shot out of her wand but it was weak. _Which means that, that particular memory is not as_ _strong as I thought it would be. _The Potions Master was chuckling under his breath as he looked at her consternated expression. 

All over the pitch, the students' commands of the Patronus Charm rang out clearly. She saw Harry's silver stag prancing about Hermione's stallion. Ginny and Ron were experiencing several false starts and abruptly, Ron took a seat down at the sandy pitch. "What are you doing?" Hermione asked him quizzically. 

"I'm trying to figure out what was my most prominent happy memory," her partner replied absently, and she left him alone to ponder, while she experimented in commanding her Patronus with her voice. She noticed that her Patronus seemed to respond quickly to her when she pitched her voice into a very serious command, and responding slower if her command turned into a desperate one. Then, she experimented on a theory that she had been arguing with Harry a few days back. Her friend had repeatedly told her that the silver otter that she had conjured during their DA session just before Umbridge had discovered them were because she was not under threat. She imagined that she was very happy and not weighed down with her thoughts of the Dark Lord or his followers._ "Expecto patronum." _She focused her eyes to see her silver otter frolicking about her and smiled when it vanished. Then she forced herself to relive the instant the Dementors were approaching the students during their train ride, and her silver stallion was back. _Okay, so Harry was right in his observation,_ she concluded silently.

Fenix shook her head to pull her attention back to her task. She imagined she was experiencing the very same feeling that she had when she felt the presence of the Dementors during their train ride to the School. She took a determined breath and focused on the day they were at Sirius's home, and remembered her sense of exaltation as she watched Snape joining the rest of the household in playing the board game with them and the faint smile that hovered on his lips. _"Expecto patronum!"_

Snape managed to jump out of the way as suddenly something bulky and silver shot straight past him. All eyes were turned to the direction of the Fire Master and stared at her in puzzlement when they saw her eyes still closed, but she was smiling as she found herself reminiscing. Right next to Snape was her Patronus, which was looking at her calmly with its pair of distinctive silver eyes. 

"Bloody brilliant…" Ron whispered, his voice sounding awed. 

Fenix finally opened her eyes, still smiling and stared incredulously at the luminous silver wolf. Thinking that she was imagining, she looked around for Silver but he was with his mate, watching her from several feet away. She was still staring at the wolf in confusion when it slowly cantered toward her, pausing a moment to butt his head against her chest before vanishing. 

__

: Was that my Patronus? : Fenix demanded the three man who were watching her quizzically. 

__

: It does seem so, lover. : Remus applauded, his mindvoice thick with approval. 

**********


	47. A Dark Samhain

**~ Chapter 47: A Dark Samhain ~**

  
Thursday, 25th October. In the Great Hall…

Nearly a month had passed quickly, with the School growing stronger from within. Deep-set enmities that had been cultivated for decades between the Slytherins and the other three Houses were weakening with each passing second. Though there was little to laugh about these days, the students find themselves laughing every so often with the new products by the Weasley twins. 

A few things had happened during the one month, which included the silent engagement between the two Defence teachers. It was supposed to be a secret but either someone had managed to be at the wrong place at the right time, or Ginny had slowly passed the rumor through the students' ranks. That particular rumor slowly drifted up toward the staff level and McGonagall and Flitwick had cornered the Potions Master to interrogate him-- if you could say that he had been interrogated when he had cheerfully acknowledged that he had been a witness. Occasional darkness had also occurred during that time span. 

Several attacks had been attempted on the Ministry of Magic but due to their good intelligence network, the Ministry had ample time to prepare themselves for the attack. As a result, several Death Eaters and some Muggles that were working for the notorious company had been apprehended, only to have the Death Eaters escape again with the help of Dementors. Madam Bones had personally told Dumbledore the Death Eaters was trouble than what they worth. She had said angrily, "Every single time we capture them, the Muggles are always with them too! Why can't they also take the Muggles with them when they escape?" She had also said that the Ministry was actually considering exterminating the Death Eaters on the spot the next time they visit the Ministry. It seemed that the Ministry was getting tired with the constant attention the Dark Lord was giving them, since they were determined enough to lose their chance of interrogating a Death Eater for information about the Dark Lord's movement. 

Hogwarts seemed to be so filled with energy and that made the house-elves feel more energized than ever and had demanded the Headmaster to give them something important to do too. Dumbledore relented and considering the words of the Fire Master and his overly cautious elder brother, he had given the house-elves the responsibility of seeing to the necessary preparations, should a siege occur. 

For the particular moment however, students and staff alike were undergoing a training session that was coordinated by Fenix, Moody, Aberforth and the Headmaster in the Hall. Unlike the past week, when the School was concentrating mainly on their defence, they were now practicing their movements as an army, primarily on their attacks. Fenix was solely acting as their enemy and was now flinging several dozen blunt projectiles toward the army. Her fiancé led the Defenders to build up a physical shield that caused the projectiles to blow up into tiny fragments and the Fire Master had to protect herself from the needle-like splinters. In the meantime, when Fenix had to halt her attacks, the Main was getting ready to destroy some of Fenix's 'troops' by setting the Bluebell flames on the wooden posts that had been set up earlier. 

The Fire Master quickly whipped out her wand and hit one side of the Main with a Stunning Spell, capturing Parvati, Lavender, and the Creevey brothers. Sirius gave an indignant exclamation. Not a single one of them was expecting her to use her wand in that manner and he quickly formulated a silent plan with his comrade and Remus to rescue the Stupefied officers. Fenix was hacking away at the Main and that left McGonagall's people to temporarily halt off their advancement to shield themselves as the Assailants and Defenders split up for the rescue mission. Harry's group, which was left with the Main, quickly threw several hexes on her at once but impacted harmlessly on her shield. Fenix ducked behind a barricade just in time when Harry hit her shield with a spell that he had created with her help, and the shield disintegrated within seconds. Harry's Tickling Charm zinged past her. 

Harry had experimented with the new spell for two weeks in a row, and had found out that the spell could also break the charms that sealed a room, purely by accident. So, he frequently practiced by opening Snape's, Sirius's, and Remus's office-- when they were around of course. That surprised Dumbledore, and he pulled the Fire Master to one side and advised her that it would not be a good idea if Harry was able to unlock his office. Fenix gave an airy laugh and reassured the Headmaster that no one had yet broken into her office and taught Dumbledore the new way of locking their offices. The shield-breaking idea had suddenly sprung up when she had encouraged Harry to build his own expanding shield, and did it admirably. She had told him of the shield the Death Eaters had built sometime when she was on her patrol with the Potions Master, and both decided that something must be done to find out ways to break the shield. It would practically be impossible if not for the help of the Elementals and the Dumbledore brothers. 

Back to the current training session, Fenix quickly wove a layer upon layer of shields to protect her as she focused her attention to the rescue team. Draco penetrated her physical shield holding the 'hostages' easily-- Fenix had yet to find ways to block the boy from_ any_ kind of shields, and the rescue mission would have been a complete success if Fenix had not thought of surprises for the rescue team. Three Dementors lookalike suddenly appeared and paralyzed the Slytherin. Sirius quickly applied the new shield-breaking spell and called out his Patronus, which was a huge eagle. Its talons went for the face of the impostor and broke the eye contact with the Slytherin. Draco immediate recovered and ducked, rolling skillfully on the ground, calling his Patronus as he did so. A silver mane-less lion sprang up and charged toward the remaining 'Dementors'. 

The Rearguard and Paramedics had already begun to move; quickly replacing the shields Fenix had broken and moved in to aid the Stupefied victims. Alamanda and Madam Pomfrey moved briskly between the Stupefied students and muttered _"Ennervate." _The army was back to its full strength and hammered at their enemy's defenses until the Fire Master had nothing left to defend. She shot a flash of white light to signal to them that she was yielding. 

**********

****

Dinner at the Hall… 

"Uh…guys…" Fenix looked at her company who was hungrily devouring their dinner at an alarmingly fast rate. Like Snape, Draco, Warrington and Montague had taken to having meals with Harry's group. 

__

: Aren't you hungry? : Sirius asked her curiously. The adults were no exception to their hunger. 

__

: I am… but munch down your food carefully… : Fenix said laughingly, her face glowing in amusement. Conversation bloomed in the Hall half an hour later, with the students revitalized by their meal after the exhausting session. The topic of how they were to celebrate Hallowe'en came up toward the end of dinner. Without knowing why, they all turned to the Fire Master and asked her. 

"Why me?" she asked in surprise then gave a sigh when Sirius just gave her a look to answer them immediately. "I don't know how you guys celebrate, but usually I and the elves that lived with me have dinner as usual, and we used to go into the Wood and contemplate," she answered them truthfully. "So, I plan to go on down to the lake, since going into the Forest to talk to the Trees can be quite dangerous." 

Ron exchanged a look with Harry and Hermione and shrugged. "We might as well try something new." 

"Are you sure you want to come along with me?" Fenix asked mischievously. "I'm bringing Remus, your Professor Lupin along, you know…" That earned her several baffled looks. "How unobservant of you… full moon will be on the thirty-first." 

"Why not? Lupin has got it all under control, right?" Harry looked intently at the Defence teacher who just shook his head miserably. The table erupted with light laughter. 

**********

****

Wednesday, 31st October. On Hallowe'en night. 

A selected group had already had their dinner in Sirius's office in the early evening. Fenix had chosen a very safe time span for the werewolf to have dinner together and Remus made use of Sirius's bedroom to change into his form when the moon finally rose. Draco looked at the bedroom door apprehensively and his heart jumped in his throat when he heard a soft howl. 

"Are you sure he will be all right?" Draco unconsciously whispered to Harry, who had been sitting next to him all evening. Luckily for him, the Slytherin did not ask if _they_ would be all right or Harry might just get violent. 

"If you want to know, Lupin's haven't been taking the Wolfsbane Potion ever since he met Fenix for the first time at The Burrow. And he's behaving much like Silver though he considers the real male wolf to be the pack leader," he said helpfully then turned his attention to the door when he heard a scratch. Fenix had already changed into her wolf form and nodded to Sirius who had locked the door from the outside. 

Remus looked more like a wolf now, his eyes displaying his intelligence._ : So, shall we go and greet the new year? Celtic way of course, : _the werewolf asked, bobbing his head in greeting to the genuine wolves. Nods went round the table and they trooped out silently, with Sirius and Harry leading the group while Snape and Draco took the rear, with the four wolves in the middle. The group was met by a couple of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs who were hanging out at the Entrance Hall. They looked curiously at the four wolves and stepped back suddenly when they realized just who was among the wolves. Remus gave a silent sigh as they trooped out of the castle onto the grounds. 

They made their way to the shore of the lake, the water rippling gently with the soft breeze. The moon was up over their heads and two silent figures swept down from the night sky and swooped over the heads of their owners. Draco lifted his face to the dark night sky, dimly making out the outline of his eagle owl, Bootes. His bird carefully landed on his arm and cautiously moved up to his owner's shoulder. Hedwig landed gracefully on Harry's shoulder and gave an almost indignant hoot when Pig came blundering in excitedly, slamming against Ron's chest. 

"Hopeless…" Ron shook his head mournfully. 

The four wolves walked nearer to the water's edge and Fenix suppressed the urge to howl, although Silver was aware of her desire to do so, for he gave her a wolfish grin. She raised her muzzle to the dark sky, looking at the moon steadily. 

Sirius looked out at the lake, feeling the smooth breeze twirling about him and looked down at his oathsister. Her lupine silver eyes seemed distant and he could see melancholy swirling deeply in her eyes. _Hallowe'en… All Souls night…Honoring the dead… _Sirius felt the warmth from the boy standing beside him, whose eyes were also going distant and then misted as Harry thought about his parents, and then to those who had lost their lives in Voldemort's meaningless war. Sirius had noticed something during their training session last Thursday. It had seemed to him that ever since the students were all working together, their spellcasting had improved to a high degree. He gave a silent sigh and wondered when Voldemort will be making his move. 

Harry was shaking inside. Although he had acted bravely during the training sessions and seemed confident at what he was doing, he was shaking. He never thought that it would all lead down to this. For the past years, he thought that Voldemort was just after him but it all changed ever since he came back during his fourth year. The certainty that other people were involving themselves in this senseless cause of Voldemort's, and would also lead to their deaths, was making him feel a little desperate. _No… I can't let this consume me. At least not yet… maybe later, when it's all over._ The images of his parents flashed through his mind suddenly. _I have to see through the end of this. For their sake, I have to make sure that I will accomplish what my parents had failed to do. _He took a deep breath and removed his glasses, brushing his tears away. The grief that had threatened to swallow him whole, lessened and he felt a warm weight against his leg and saw Fenix looking at him. Her eyes were smiling, though they were also sad. 

__

: You won't be alone, you know. We're all right behind you. No matter what, : she said gravely, her eyes growing mysterious under the moonlight. Harry nodded slightly, looking back at the reflection of the moon on the lake. 

**********

Carved pumpkins were floating about the castle. The ghosts of Hogwarts were patrolling in and out of the corridors while Hagrid and Moody were out checking the grounds. The Dumbledore brothers were in the Headmaster's office, discussing on the latest details of Voldemort's plans. The students had long gone to bed since it was already an hour to midnight. Snape, Sirius and the four wolves were sound asleep on Sirius's bed after a tedious discussion about the meaning of Life. 

Out in the cover of the black night, sleek darkness crept along the castle wall. Not even the Elementals were aware of what was happening. Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, was feeling restless but was not able to explain why he was feeling that way to his owner and friend. Minutes passed by and Darkness had already covered every inch of the castle. It was slowly seeping through the cracks and through any point of entry. Yet the ghosts, or the house-elves, or the staff who was still awake, was unaware of the silent intrusion. Darkness was conquering the School, yet no one was aware of it. _They_ had finally come for the School. They had finally arrived to make the life of Hogwarts dead.Their first battle had just begun. 

*********** 


	48. The Power of Terror? Guess Not!

**~ Chapter 48: The Power of Terror? Guess Not! ~**

__

  
"Harry…" an urgent voice called in his sleep. It sounded terribly familiar.

__

"Harry…son…you've got to wake up!" The next voice Harry was able to recognize immediately.

"Dad?" Harry mumbled in his sleep, tossing over to his right, not quite awake.

__

"Voldemort, Harry… he's sent his creatures over to the School! You've got to wake up!" James Potter urged his son, his voice fading in and out.

"Can't be… I'm just dreaming…" Harry muttered softly. A small part of him was amused when he felt his parents' despair at his stubbornness. There was suddenly a bright flash in his mind and he sat up straight on his bed, feeling a kind of electric shock spreading out in his body. He wondered if he had really heard the voices of his parents or had he imagined them. Still, he needed to find out why the voices had urged him to wake up. He reached out for his glasses while his right hand grabbed his wand. Then he suddenly froze.

**********

Hermione felt several sharp claws digging into her back all of a sudden and stifled her scream when she realized that it was her cat. "Crookshanks, what are you doing?" she whispered almost severely to her half-Kneazle. "Everyone's sleeping already…" she complained sleepily. Her cat paced from her bed and then jumped, prodding her wand with his nose. A faint rustling alerted her, and she felt energized by the need to investigate. Crookshanks began hissing dangerously. Something was bent over Ginny's sleeping form.

**********

Draco was dozing. For the past few weeks, he was not able to get a proper sleep, although he should have been tired after the training sessions. Fenix had sensed that he was restless but he always denied it. Draco's sleep was often uneasy ever since he had a nightmare where his father and the Potions Master were the prominent figures. Since the Slytherin was not in a deep sleep, he was awakened quickly by a strange muffled noise over his right. Draco did not open his eyes and maintained his steady breathing, pretending that he was still asleep. His wand was tucked in at the left side of his pillow. Somehow, all the students had preferred to have their wands near them nowadays, even when they sleep.

He could not reach for his wand immediately. He was unaware that Warrington and Montague were also awake, though they were basically acting as he was currently doing. He felt a silken touch on his right cheek.

**********

The people in Sirius's bedroom were still sleeping. Several hooded figures began converging on them. Fenix felt herself rousing the instant she smelled the familiar scent of the Dementors and sprang up into action immediately, casting the room into brightness and changed into her Hunter form, deftly swinging her sword. The sudden light had caused the rest of the company to awaken, and the loud angry howls of the wolves, somehow magnified, penetrated through the walls of the entire castle. Seconds later, numerous explosions, jinxes, hexes, and Patronuses were heard from all over the ancient building.

It was not a good time for the Dementors in Sirius's bedroom. Although they outnumbered the humans by three to one ratio, they were decimated quickly enough by the living. They had taken for granted that Remus, being a werewolf that fateful night would be unprotected, but to their immense displeasure, the Defence teacher was a force to reckon with. Though the latter was not able to function with his wand, he was still able to cast a shield that imitated the one the Death Eaters had used in the Forest a few months back, periodically stunning the Dementors for his partner to vanquish.

Snape let out an angry snarl as a bolt of green flash darted toward him. Sirius rushed toward the Death Eater and slammed him against his wardrobe, the wood splintering beneath the force of Sirius's push. Snape focused on a second Death Eater, one he recognized quite well, bearing the name of Avery. He ducked another time, landing a punch squarely on the Death Eater's stomach, causing the latter to double up in pain. Examining his opponent's head calmly, he registered a stunning blow, all done without the use of his wand. He straightened and calmly raked his fingers through his messy black hair.

__

"Stupefy!" Sirius yelled. The first Death Eater went down and Harry's godfather calmly pried the wand out of his opponent's palm and placed magical bindings on both Death Eaters. They focused their attention to Fenix and three wolves but they were doing fine, since no Dementors were left to escape from the bedroom. Remus was panting heavily, his brown eyes displaying his anger but Fenix was calm as a stone. Her sword vanished and she turned a deathly gaze on the two unconscious Death Eaters.

**********

__

: Wake up but don't move, : Harry commanded his friends silently. He felt them rousing and a distant part of him chuckled at the resentment that Ron was exuding unconsciously._ : I'm sorry to intrude, but I think you better get your wands handy. I think there's one Dementor standing by the door, and another one at the foot of Ron's bed, :_ he informed his friends quickly and the room suddenly felt cold. In his mind, where Ron's presence was colored red, began flashing dangerously and Harry dimly heard his friend's thought,_ 'Brave fellows aren't they? Creeping in the dark…'_

Quite suddenly, the four boys jumped out of their beds, whipping out their wands just as they heard the howls of wolves vibrating about the castle. A silver stag and a boar came charging at the Dementor standing by the door while Ron's hyena was joined by Seamus's unicorn as it trampled the Dementor by the bed. Their room suddenly brightened just as they heard Hermione's screams and several of the others from the Gryffindor Tower. Their Dementors disappeared, making Harry curse as they all hurriedly went out of their room. Harry knocked Ron out of the way as a Dementor came stumbling toward them. Several Patronuses charged at it mercilessly. More Dementors fled toward them as they were herded out of the boys' dormitories.

"Is everyone all right?" Harry shouted, voice filled with concern and most of them answered "Yeah!" The boys of Gryffindor House quickly turned toward the direction of the girls' dormitories. They saw an angry Hermione accompanied by a pale faced Ginny, looking at the Dementors that suddenly vanished right before their eyes.

Crookshanks was hissing angrily as he twirled about Hermione's legs. The Gryffindor prefect stared at Harry almost belligerently and demanded, "Why are there Dementors here? And Harry, I swear I saw a Lethifold over Ginny just now! And the Dementors Disapparated! The magical protections about the place should have prevented them from doing so!"

There were murmurs of consternated voices all about Harry. He nodded solemnly, looking at his fellow students in mild surprise. All of them had been sleeping in normal clothes rather than their sleeping robes. They looked at him for instructions. "I think it's time we gather around at the Great Hall, and Rearguards, take the rear. Defenders, you take point." The students nodded gravely and prepared themselves for the planned evacuation. "Shields up!"

**********

Back on Draco's bed, the Slytherin was almost sweating but he dared not. There was something hovering above him; he could feel silky material on his exposed face, hands and feet. Finally, he could not stand the uncomfortable feeling any longer. _I hope Montague or Warrington won't mind the room being blackened… _

He gave a sigh and felt the presence above him stiffened slightly. Draco casually raised his right hand, a palm curved as if he was holding something. A flash of green fire exploded above the Slytherin's face and the Lethifold was blasted off several feet from Draco's bed, crashing against Draco's study table. One side of his table was singed at he sighed when the emerald fire began eating away his novel. That gave the three Slytherins enough time for them to cast their Patronuses, not bothering to turn on the lights. Montague's silvery Great Owl pecked at the Dark Creature relentlessly, forcing it out of the room._ I am glad that I was not truly asleep… or waited too long._ He moved briskly for his table and muttered, _"Éteindre." _His book smoked and he shook his head helplessly.

Warrington was swearing creatively as the boys changed their clothing briskly. "What do we do now?" he asked the prefect as he hurriedly wore his shoes, while Draco pulled a black sweater over his face. They heard the eerie howls of the wolves and jumped briefly when they heard several loud detonations, which they recognized as the Weasleys' Explosive Hex.

"We gather ourselves first, then proceed to the Hall. I'm sure that the others have already begun to move out. Let's go," Draco said as he wore his arm guard.

***********

The Dumbledore brothers, equipped with their wands, carefully proceeded out of the office. Aberforth motioned to his younger brother that he would scout ahead. Several dark figures suddenly grappled the elder wizard as they turned into a corridor and struggled briefly with the surprisingly strong wizard. Aberforth slammed a Dementor against a gargoyle as Dumbledore's Patronus battered down the Dementors, to give Aberforth a breathing space. Aberforth's silver lion let out a roar and joined Dumbledore's Patronus in warding off the Dementors. Feeling that they were outrageously helpless against the two sorcerers, they Disapparated.

"Wulf, we have to go to the Hall. If this is an open attack…" Aberforth's voice trailed off as they heard the explosions coming from the lower levels accompanied with several angry and frightened screams. Dumbledore stood rigidly, not really hearing the voice of his brother or the sudden noises that had broken out in the castle. _The magical protections… _"Wulf!" Aberforth said sharply. The Headmaster took a deep breath and nodded gravely, suddenly feeling determined to get to the bottom of the situation.

**********

Several students had apparently gone berserk, much to the surprise of the invaders. Luna was laughing madly as she and her group of Ravenclaws strategically herded four of the Death Eaters toward the magical staircases. On the other side, the Hufflepuffs were mercilessly shooting off hexes on Augustus Rookwood and three other Death Eaters. The eight Death Eaters were trapped between the students of the two Houses and to their horror, Susan Bones and her Hufflepuffs immediately cast off the Disarming Charm on the Death Eaters. Meanwhile, Luna and her fellow Defenders created a physical shield about the Death Eaters to prevent them from Apparating. "I hope they're not dead by our combined efforts!" Luna Lovegood yelled, trying to control her laughter. She was wearing her sweater and black track pants, with a pair of golden ancient-looking earrings.

"Loony! Do you think it will be possible to move the shield downstairs?" Susan asked her, eyes glinting wickedly in the magical candlelight. Luna peered down the staircase and stared thoughtfully at the void. A staircase suddenly moved and they met the Gryffindors, looking very alert. Harry pushed himself forward and examined the immobilized Death Eaters impassively.

"Harry, is it possible that Fenix had taught you how to create a spherical shield?" Luna spoke up, eyeing down on the empty space beside the railing. Harry gave a crooked smile and nodded. A shield made of a myriad of colors were suddenly over the Death Eaters. Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs alike, nodded their heads in satisfaction. One by one, the students finally realized Luna's intention.

"I wonder why we're feeling a little sadistic," Aine Moonbeam of Ravenclaw said satirically.

"Must be a side effect at having interrupted of our beauty sleep," a Hufflepuff spoke up.

"On the count of three then," Hermione said lightly as the Gryffindors began to join in the ranks of the Hufflepuffs. "One… two… three! _Wingardium leviosa_!" Harry's spherical shield began levitating as the students directed it toward the freeway down. Once they felt that the sphere could go down and hopefully the staircases would not change as it made its passage, they released the spell and watched the sphere zoomed off downwards. They would really for sorry for them, for damaging their precious ancient railings.

The group of students slowly walked down the staircase, the Defenders pausing every moment to check for movements and proceeded to the Great Hall. By the time they got downstairs, they found a very irritated, growling werewolf with two other wolves. Fenix, Sirius and Snape in the meantime were hoisting off two unconscious Death Eaters. Fenix exchanged a glance with Harry and he nodded. Two breaths later, the two Death Eaters joined with their fellows inside his colorful shield.

They were distracted for a brief moment when shouts, screams and curses erupted out from the narrow staircase leading to the dungeons. A swarm of blackness suddenly emerged out and the body of students waiting by the doors of the Great Hall faltered. Fenix, ignoring Remus's curses in her mind, moved toward the black wall of cloaks and the whole area was suddenly illuminated by a blinding blue light.

The Death Eaters who were watching the invasion via a crystal in the Forest stared stupidly at the ancient building when they saw brilliant blue light erupted from inside the castle and had to turn their faces away, both from the crystal and the castle, for the light managed to reach the outskirts of the Forest. Lucius Malfoy turned back and glared at the ancient castle when the blinding light died. "This is impossible!"

"Don't worry, Lucius. The Lethifolds will get them," Rabastan Lestrange said confidently. However, several other Death Eaters and Malfoy were not as sure as he was, since they only saw the group of students in the crystal, and no Dark Creatures.

"Lucius!" Macnair sprinted urgently toward him. "Hagrid and Moody have escaped!"

The pale-haired man did not bother cursing as a Dementor appeared before him. "We have failed in using the Lethifolds, Lucius," it said in a deep voice. "The one they call the Fire Master had vanquished them. She is dangerous, Lucius. I'm afraid… that our Master might have to change his plans a little. Not even my kind were able to instigate fear in the students."

Lucius stared at the fortress, his anger rapidly multiplying. "Come!" He twirled and went deeper into the Forest to establish communication with the Dark Lord.

**********

The light died and they turned to look at the Fire Master, still glowing ethereally with blue fire. She stared critically at a last Lethifold on the castle floor and watched it slowly disintegrating into minute molecules. She beckoned Montague toward her, who was sporting a deep gash on his upper right arm. He went to her uncertainly, his eyes looking at her fearfully. Draco however was looking at her curiously. Although the blue fire surrounding her had gone, it still had not left her silver eyes.

"Is everyone all right?" The Headmaster walked briskly toward them, looking for Harry instantly.

"I think everyone's more or less intact, except for Montague," Fenix spoke up. "Aelwyn, where's Mad-Eye? And Rubeus?" she conversed with her Sylph.

"They're on the way. Mad-Eye's injured," the Sylph answered just as the great doors of the castle opened and Hagrid came in, supporting a badly injured ex-Auror. Fang, Hagrid's boarhound trailed worriedly behind the two men. The other staff members had just arrived and Dumbledore opened the doors of the Hall and they trooped in behind him.

"Fenix, please cast a shield over the Hall if you please," Dumbledore instructed. Fenix gazed solemnly at him and finally nodded. Although personally, she would rather shield the whole castle but she needed to spend her powers wisely. No one spoke as they filled the Hall, empty of tables and benches. Sirius casually kicked the shield containing the Death Eaters into the Hall to present them to the Headmaster. Snape and the three wolves stayed with Fenix by the entrance, as she carefully built a shield that protected the Hall, a spherical shield that went all the way down to the foundations of the castle. At a nod, they went in, with Snape firmly shutting the doors, taking a moment to seal the room magically.

__

: Fenix, turn that fire off from your eyes, : Remus commanded sternly, staring at her with his hazel brown eyes. She shook her head, scowling a little.

__

: I can't. My blood is up, : she replied in compunction. Remus shook his head and trotted off to check the Death Eaters in the shield.

Most of the students had collapsed in a heap. Montague was lying down, his head supported by Warrington's thigh while Madam Pomfrey was busying herself with Moody. His magical eye stared at the Death Eaters in the shield as he took in the faces belonging to the fathers of Crabbe and Goyle, Jugson, and seven others he could not name.

Dumbledore was questioning Hagrid quietly and the students made themselves silent to hear their conversation. "We weren' careful enuff…" Hagrid was saying to the Headmaster gruffly. "We got caught, an' they bounded ourselves up with 'em magical chains. Moody's got hit by several sticks, set off by Lestrange. Fenix's Elementals' help us ter escape. 'Though Fenix didna' tell me 'em Salamanders could Metamorph."

Fenix who was checking Ginny-- the girl seemed to be in a state of shock-- looked sharply at the immense Hagrid. "What do you mean?" she questioned the big man briskly.

"I didna' understan' meself, but one of 'em spoke softly in the air, deep-voiced. Caught a faint shimmer of light, then one figure in 'em flames appeared all sudden-like, and broke 'em magical chains," Hagrid told her enthusiastically but he faltered a little when she answered him.

"I don't think he was an Elemental, Hagrid," she answered after a moment. Hagrid was about to demand who it was then, but she shook her head repressively. Sirius slumped down beside his godson who gave him a small smile, then turned back to stare at the Death Eaters through his colored shield.

Hermione raised a hand to gain the Headmaster's attention. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Just two questions Professor: Are the magical protections surrounding the castle still working or not? Or could we expect more of the kind of intrusions that we had experienced about half an hour ago?" she asked almost in an impudent manner. McGonagall looked at her favorite student in faint disapproval but kept mum. The Headmaster was silent, gazing at Hermione intently.

Someone gave a faint laugh and the students looked around for its source. Susan and Luna were peering intently inside Harry's shield. The laughter grew stronger. It was coming from one of the Death Eaters. "Voldemort's broken your so-called strong magical shields, old man!" He began laughing maniacally. The Dumbledore brothers narrowed their eyes dangerously and Hermione took a deep breath as she heard the answer to her question.

"Vincent!" someone commanded from inside the shield. "Get me out!"

Vincent Crabbe of Slytherin looked at the shield in mild surprise. He looked at Draco. "Is that my father they've got in there?" he asked somewhat numbly. "He's a Death Eater?"

"You will get me out of this damn stupid shield now!" an angry voice emerged.

"I don't think I could, dad," his son answered truthfully, turning his back to the shield.

"Never show your back against the enemy, boy!" Moody spoke up harshly and the Slytherin boy looked sheepishly at him.

"I forgot…"

"How about my… father?" Draco had a difficult time spitting that out, but Hagrid shook his head.

"Can't be… unless the one yer have here is nothin' other than an impostor. 'Cause I saw yer father back in 'em woods," the big man informed him.

"What do we do with them, Albus?" Fenix questioned, then looked shrewdly at the shield and raised her hand to stop Dumbledore from speaking. Harry's shield suddenly turned black. "Precautions. I could make the shield sound proof but I don't want any chances that at least one of them could read our lips," she explained.

"Do we kill them?" Susan stared intently at the black shield.

"Get a hold of yourself, Sue," one of her friends said sharply.

Fenix went over to sit beside Harry, Remus automatically going to her. They all looked expectantly at the Headmaster. He gave a rueful sigh. "I think not, Miss Bones. We should send them back to Voldemort." Several discontented murmurs echoed in the Great Hall. Dumbledore fell silent as he conjured a bench for the teachers to sit.

Fenix chose a moment to break the silence. "Did you happen to confiscate their wands, girls?" She looked at Susan expectantly. Several of the Assailants nodded and handed her four of the wands while Luna's girls gave the other four wands to her. The moment the eight wands gathered in her hand, she set her Fire to them and they were destroyed completely. This should have been impossible since wands by right have their own protective spells. Some of the students and at least half of the teachers including the Headmaster felt that she was going against the law of magic when she did that. She sighed and Snape patted her shoulder reassuringly while Dumbledore gave her an apologetic smile.

"Dumbledore, are we going to just sit on our behinds here or are we going to do something about the sneaky invasion?" Moody grated out.

They suddenly turned their heads as one as they heard something crash and felt the vibrations of something heavy falling. They could all hear the steady, and frightening growls coming from something big. "Giants," Charlie stood up, staring intently at the wall-- in the direction of the Quidditch Pitch.

"I think I've had enough," Dumbledore stood up silently and conjured a map of the castle. "Fenix, I want you to seal off from this area--" the Headmaster indicated with his finger at the point where the Great Hall was situated, as she stood up to examine the map, "--and all the way to this area," he instructed firmly, his finger now resting on the spot where the intersection between where the students' dormitories ended and where the buildings for where most of the classrooms lay.

Fenix nodded and she was about to make a Jump when Remus stopped her, his fangs baring angrily at her. She stared at him and shook her head stubbornly, then vanished without a word. Harry and his godfather stared at the spot where she had been standing in shocked surprise, then paled when Remus began to curse vehemently. He was feeling extremely irritated that all of these had happened when he had to turn a werewolf. He stopped pacing and thought about the moment of hatred that had passed through his bond with Fenix._ I guess I'm being selfish. Here I am, cursing at my partner because she's doing something useful. I'm such a simple-minded man. Fenix has a right to be angry, I guess. I still can't believe that Voldemort would choose such a day to attack. _He had already calmed down and sat beside Sirius, who was looking at him seriously.

The Headmaster was giving instructions to the Paramedics, the Reserves and half of the Main to remain in the Hall while the rest would set up a counterattack on Voldemort's people. Dumbledore firmly spoke to Moody that he ought to remain behind due to his injury. The ex-Auror began to sulk and earned himself a disdainful glare by the school nurse.

Hermione was whispering quietly to Harry and Ron. "I wonder how Fenix was able to get out of the shield she had created all about us."

"I think she made a part of the shield temporarily permeable to do that," her friend answered her. Fenix reappeared and nodded to the Headmaster. "Are we engaging then?" Harry pitched his voice so that the Headmaster could hear him. Dumbledore nodded and Snape removed the charm that had sealed the room. Wind offered to remain behind with Moody, to keep an eye on things in the Hall. There was another thundering crash and Dumbledore shook his ruefully.

__

"How dare they!" Rowena Ravenclaw screamed.

__

"I am feeling not so happy! They absolutely ruined the classrooms!" the voice of Helga Hufflepuff echoed eerily about the castle.

Two ghostly knights accompanied by the Bloody Baron and others trooped into the Hall. _"Here to report that one clan of at least twelve giants are wrecking the tower closest to the Quidditch Pitch. The Whomping Willow is gone by the way."_ Salazar Slytherin removed his helm to reveal his striking handsome face with shoulder length black hair. _"Begging pardon for the inconsistency but having the very School wrecked by my 'heir' is not one of my long-term plans."_ The Slytherin founder was gazing intently at Harry as he said that. _"The Chamber of Secrets was meant to be opened by you, but thankfully you did not. I did not reckon Tom Riddle to have a basilisk habituating in there. And I absolutely hate it when I have to abort my plans because of that."_

Most of them were staring at him in confusion, including Fenix, who had no idea what the Founder was talking about. Dumbledore regained his composure and captured their attention once more. "We'll disarm the giants. I have no intention of decimating them-- their numbers is getting smaller as the decades went by but if they remain in the School grounds we might have to…" he sighed.

__

"Could you please hurry up before they destroy my _Tower?"_ Rowena Ravenclaw pleaded.

"I'm afraid it's too late," Krill's deep voice answered her and the sorceress fell silent. The students and their related ensigns stood up to get ready to move. The recruits carefully wore their armbands-- Malfoy had already worn his golden-colored band. Wind's mindvoice reached their minds.

__

: Will the Gods all help you tonight. And you, : she spoke specifically to all the students, _: you better get your rumps back here in safe condition after the skirmish. :_

**********

Voldemort and his followers strolled across the Quidditch Pitch in silence. The Dark Lord's eyes glowed as he watched the giants creating a total mess of a wing of the School. He was not satisfied however. His bloodlust was up; he needed to hear the screams of pain, particular the screams of young wizards.

"Master, are you sure you're safe with us?" Lucius spoke diffidently. Voldemort let out a shrill laugh that the army of students was able to hear although they were still walking through the castle slowly.

Remus and Silver loped ahead of them, followed by Fenix, Snape and Sirius and their batch of Assailants and Defenders behind them, running stealthily. They finally got out of the castle and stepped onto the soft patch of grass, protected only by their shields. The Main and the Rearguards had separated from them, with the Dumbledore brothers taking another path to confront the giants directly, while the other two divisions were left to attack the side.

Constant physical workouts that Fenix had mercilessly conducted on the students was really paying off, as they were able to cross the grounds in silence. Since most of them were wearing dark colored clothing, they blended in well with the dark surroundings with only their colored armbands flashing against the pale moonlight.

__

: We've locked on our targets, : Aberforth's clear mindvoice penetrated through the minds of the army outside the castle. Fenix narrowed her eyes as Krill sent back a report and halted the ranks.

__

: Death Eaters seen. Along with Voldemort. Directly behind the company of giants, : the Fire Master informed him. Aberforth did not answer immediately; he was conferring with the Headmaster, debating on the issue if they should divide their attention. Dumbledore gave instructions to the Assailants and the Defenders to get the Death Eaters out of the giants' reach. They began moving again and Harry felt anger radiating out of Draco as they finally caught sight of a group of black walking toward the castle from the pitch. It was easy to understand why his counterpart was feeling that way. Near the front of the group crossing the pitch lazily, was a man with pale hair, his wand out._ : Draco, : _Fenix sent a thought to the Slytherin, _: don't let your anger consume you. Focus, : _she advised.

The boy did as she suggested and took deep breaths as they sprinted across to meet the select group of Death Eaters. _: I'm all right. :_ he sent a thought back to her. The Death Eaters blasted off a solid column of wall that separated the pitch from the rest of the castle grounds. The loud noises coming from the bellowing giants swinging down their heavy cudgels vibrated through the ground.

__

: Okay, : Sirius communicated to the minds of their company. _: Fenix, create a barrier that will separate the giants from the Death Eaters. The rest of you, Blasting Charms. Move the Death Eaters back toward the Forest. :_

Nods of confirmation. Warrington and Dean attached themselves to Fenix to defend her as she worked. Silver and Remus led the rest of the Defenders and threw a shield up that covered the advancing students.

Exactly two minutes later, the Death Eaters changed their pace into a run to join the giants. Somehow, they were not aware of the mass of students coming for them. Maybe it was because the havoc the giants were creating muffled even the footfalls of twenty over students. Luna let out a hysterical laugh when the Death Eaters suddenly found themselves cut off from the giants by a solid invisible wall. Some of them actually got rebounded, stunned by their own momentum.

__

: The shield's holding. Move in, : Fenix commanded. When the students crossed the invisible line, the shield suddenly became visible to their eye, barring off the rest of the castle.

**********

Lucius was striking at the shield with his fist and winced. _"Master!" _He looked urgently at the Dark Lord, but took a sharp breath when he saw Draco with twenty other people, all looking determined.

Voldemort looked incredulously at the group then snarled when he saw Snape, arm raised and in unison, the column blasted the Death Eaters, flinging them several feet away._ What is this? _An angry thought filled his mind and he struggled to get back to his feet. Several _'Avada Kedavra!' _rang through the clearing, but impacted harmlessly on the group of students. His followers were scattered all over the grounds. _"Regroup!" _he shouted angrily. The sight of a grim faced Harry increased his anger and blood lust.

The Assailants and Defenders mercilessly pounded Voldemort's followers with several hexes, causing some of them to turn tail and fled back to the Forest. Harry's clear baritone rang out accompanied by several of his comrades. _"Expelliarmus!"_This time however, they did not concentrate on one, because Snape had critically announced to them via mindspeech that he was sick at having to move a Death Eater. Remus and Silver ran through the Death Eaters. Silver was grabbing the legs of the humans and sank his razor sharp teeth into their flesh, causing several lacerations. Remus in the meantime was contented to throw his full body weight at the Death Eaters. He was not about to subject them to his peculiarity, believing that Voldemort would use the sickness as another weapon. The two wolves steered well away from Lucius or Voldemort, paying attention to the other Death Eaters.

For the first time since his resurrection, Voldemort felt uncertainty and shouted at his followers to retreat back to the Forest. _"But the giants!"_ one of them protested. Voldemort ignored them, running straight for the protection of the Dark Forest. Hermione, Fenix and some of the rest could not resist the temptation of setting the robes of the Death Eaters' on fire.

Voldemort cursed as Hermione's Bluebell flames caught onto his robe, spreading quickly upwards. He struggled to get rid of his cloak and made his followers retreat to their haven deep in the forest. _How could they have gotten stronger in a short time?_

**********


	49. Slipping Away

****

~ Chapter 49: Slipping Away ~

  
Out in the castle grounds…

Fenix stared at the Forest calmly. Her Elementals had taken the opportunity to set up several traps in the Forest to keep the Death Eaters out of their hair while they deal with the giants. They let out deep breaths, slightly panting at the midnight exertion. The leader of the giants, Golgomath, let out a terrible roar of anger as the body of students took on a defensive position from inside the ruined section of the castle. 

__

: Remus, Sirius, we might have to kill the giants. Especially the biggest one. Dumbledore had tried to negotiate but he was forced to use magic, : Aberforth's thought echoed in their minds. 

"Isn't that going to stink?" Ginny asked doubtfully. 

"No help for it." Sirius shrugged. He looked around. "So how do we kill a giant?" he repeated the question via mindspeech to the other group behind the castle walls. 

__

: Keep hitting them with spells-- : Aberforth's voice was cut off as a huge pile of rocks came tumbling down, caused by the massive blow of Golgomath's cudgel. The Dumbledore brothers stared impassively at the exploding bits of rocks as it impacted against the shield, sending the projectiles soaring through the air. Some large splinters of the rock hurtled toward the giants. One fell dead when a sharp fragment pierced through the face, penetrating through the immense skull._ : Until they fall dead, I guess, :_ Aberforth continued. 

**********

The Death Eaters ran deeper and deeper into the Forest and to their dismay, some happened to get stuck on vines that coiled tightly about them. Some fell into invisible pits; their screams were cut off as they disappeared only to reappear before a band of centaurs, crossbows ready and drawn. The Greater Nymphs that lived in the Dark Forest had tipped the centaurs off and prodded them a little to get them to act, hence they were ready for action. Voldemort looked at his followers in disdain. He was lucky he had taken precautions not to bring the more important members of his followers. He looked around for Lucius-- he could not afford to lose the Malfoy, because next to Snape, the pale-haired man was the strongest in wizardry and whose intelligence was much higher than most of his followers. Lucius was deftly dissecting the vines that held Rabastan Lestrange hostage with a new wand that Voldemort had given him. 

Death screams rang out from somewhere; Voldemort traced the death energy to find six of his Death Eaters bleeding their life away and the centaurs quickly galloped away from the instant they felt his presence. He let the energy of their death energy flow into him. Lucius was about to voice out a recommendation then chilled as he watched the inhumane expression on Voldemort's face. The Dark Lord's eyes were closed, enjoying the huge volumes of energy as he felt his followers struggling to keep their hold on life. 

The Dark Lord opened his eyes to gaze directly into Lucius's pale gray eye, looking at him in fear. _Yes…Lucius…fear me…_ There were thoughts flashing through his mind as he watched the pale Lucius, licking his lips almost seductively. "Gather the rest here. We'll watch how Dumbledore deals with the giants." 

"What do you intend to do, Master?" Lucius maintained a calm, even curious tone although he was trembling inside with fear, and something else as Voldemort gazed at him. Voldemort's long hair fell over his eyes, covering half of his face. He was laughing softly. 

"We'll watch… for now." 

**********

Four giants were down, being the weakest and easiest of the ten giants to slay. The concentrated Stunning Charm by the School's Army worked too well on them. Golgomath was angered; both by the successful attacks of the students and that Voldemort and his followers had not come to aid them. McGonagall was swearing, much to the amusement of the Headmaster as the giant evaded a large stone that had come flying toward him, landing on another giant's head with a sickening crash. There were five more giants to go. 

__

: What is his armor made up of? : Snape asked in irritation, as he watched the huge giant beneath the protection of their shield. 

__

: From the looks of it, it must be from the hide of a Graphorn, : Aberforth answered. 

__

: Spells won't work then, : Snape's mindvoice was filled with annoyance. 

__

: You're stating the obvious, : Sirius replied, purely out of habit. 

__

: Shut up, : the Potions Master snapped.

__

: I think I know how to stop the big one. Just distract him long enough so I could find his heart. : Fenix volunteered. Remus the werewolf watched her for a moment but did not speak. Commands were issued via mindspeech and repeated twice as the army concentrated on hitting Golgomath with everything they had. 

**********

Voldemort waited. His followers had regrouped, some were looking very haggard after they were able to get rid of the Bluebell flames. Lucius waited for Voldemort's instruction. He saw the small figure of the Fire Master moving a little away from the general commotion. Voldemort smiled with satisfaction. 

**********

Fenix focused her attention on Golgomath's back, standing at least thirty feet away from the giant. She was awfully close to the Forest and she took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She concentrated on the giant and used her Sight, trying to find the giant's heart. She bit off a curse. The armor that the giant was wearing was interfering with her Vision. _Work from the ground up then…_ She knew she was making herself vulnerable to attack but had strictly warned the students to remain with their divisions. _Better me than them._

**********

Voldemort had sent three of his people to strike at the Fire Master and he watched in anticipation for the right time to set his spell on her. 

**********

Fenix was nearing her goal. _Just a few more seconds…_ Her neck prickled as she felt three Death Eaters closing in behind her. Instantly, she called up for her sword and swung it rapidly, disemboweling one man. _Damn them!_ Then she Saw a pulsating source and gave a sigh of relief and placed the last bit of her energy to stopping it. Quite suddenly, she felt a pain in her chest and found that she could not move. Her right hand that was clutching at the pommel of her sword suddenly went limp and the ancient weapon dropped soundlessly onto the ground. She felt herself struggling to breathe, and felt her head spinning from the lack of air. Still, her heart was being squeezed._ Can't give up now…_ She ignored the immense pain, her eyes only seeing the life energy of the people before her. She targeted her strength at Golgomath's heart and she clenched the huge arteries. The giant gasped, going down to one knee and clutched his chest, struggling to breathe. His heart stopped and the giant toppled to his side with a loud crash. 

**********

"Now," Voldemort commanded. He and Lucius Apparated to where the Fire Master was standing immobile. She was paralyzed and her face scrunched up in pain. A maniacal grin began spread onto his face and he instructed Lucius to pick her sword up. 

Fenix knew what the Dark Lord had planned. He had cast a spell on her so that it would be impossible for her to retrieve her sword back. And somehow he knew that since neither physical objects nor spells could hit her, her sword had a high chance of damaging her in some way, since her sword was a part of her. Voldemort stood so he was gazing directly into her eyes. His face showed a little disappointment as he took his time to read her eyes. He seethed with frustration as he felt no fear coming from her. Her unique pair of silver eyes only bore defiance and contempt for the Dark Lord. 

He started to laugh as Lucius maneuvered to face her and in one swift move, the one-eyed wizard thrust the sword right into her abdomen, plunging the graceful blade down to the hilt. Fenix did not scream, and her eyes did not show any signs of fear. Her pain however, traveled down in waves through the minds of those who had grown close to her. A howl emerged from Remus and he collapsed on his paws, as he felt Fenix's presence in his mind growing weaker. 

Two more giants went down after Golgomath's downfall. Her 'family' broke off from their positions and sprinted down toward where she had fallen on her side. Voldemort's followers had reappeared behind their leader and quickly aimed Stunning Spells on the advancing group. Dean and Neville went down, and half of the Defenders rushed toward their fallen friends. Harry's eyes were focused solely on Lucius Malfoy, ignoring Voldemort completely that he did not see that a Cruciatus Curse was rushing toward him. 

__

"Expelliarmus!" Harry screamed, his green eyes darkening, waving his wand at Lucius. Suddenly, Draco knocked him down. The Slytherin collapsed, screaming in pain as he intercepted the Cruciatus Curse. Harry got up to his feet, ignoring Draco and Voldemort, then rushed at Malfoy, knocking the older man off his feet. Harry knew he would not be able to use any of the Unforgivable Curses for he did not have what it takes to make the curses function the way they should, but he was capable of doing some damage to Lucius's kidney. He balled his fingers into a fist and hit Draco's father with all his strength. The wizard doubled up in pain. A volley of silver arrows shot out of the darkness-- some struck the remaining giants while some began methodically putting down Voldemort's followers. The unexpected ray of arrows stopped. The grounds were silent, except for the whimpering of Remus, laying his muzzle on Fenix's cheek, and the vibrations of the fallen giants where the deathly arrows had struck solidly. 

Now that the giants were no longer their concern, the Army of Hogwarts began to advance out of the castle to meet Voldemort. Dumbledore's quiet voice echoed menacingly. "Is the final confrontation to be now, Voldemort?" The Headmaster calmly rested his hand on Harry's shoulder, and the teachers screened the boy totally from the Dark Lord's eyes. Suddenly remembering what had happened a few minutes ago, Harry quickly went over to Draco, who was supported by Warrington. He was surprised when the Slytherin prefect began to struggle to get to his feet. His friend cursed when his palm burned and the area about Draco began to heat up dangerously. 

__

: Professor! : Harry's mindvoice pierced Snape's deranged mind-- the man was looking at the sword and the blood in horror, and Harry slowly backed away from the Slytherin. The Potions Master's head snapped to focus on Draco's whose eyes bore a strange resemblance to the Fire Master's; his eyes were gleaming with emerald fire. The group of students parted instantly-- they had to, because Draco was burning like a smithy totally gone out of control. 

"You have no idea what you just did," Draco said in a quiet voice, totally devoid of emotions. Rabastan Lestrange growled at him and shot off the Killing Curse toward the boy so fast that it was impossible for anyone to shield the boy. Miraculously, Draco kept moving-- the Curse seemed to be totally useless as the Slytherin prefect went out of control. The young man's eyes fixed on the man that had been his father for fifteen years. "Even if she still lives, I'll personally be your enemy for as long as you live. Not Snape. Not Harry." He broke off the eye contact with Lucius Malfoy to stare bravely at the Dark Lord. 

Voldemort could not believe at the tremendous power that was emitting out of the Fire Master's body as the Fire Master bled to death. He gave a malicious smile as he sought to take control of the life source that was wasting away, to be taken into the Earth. But he was blocked and he narrowed his eyes dangerously. Draco had saw through it all and the words that came out of his mouth confirmed it. "Do you think I will just watch while you steal her away? I think not. Huh… you don't deserve what she's giving away freely." 

The Dark Lord was subjected to the most powerful burning inferno for the first time in his life, and felt his robes disintegrating away to dust. Some of his Death Eaters were incinerated and his eyes sought for the incapacitated Lucius, then grabbed his henchman and Apparated out. Macnair, Lestrange and those who were still much intact-- although all were suffering from severe burns-- followed their Master's example. 

The fire died from Draco as he regained his control. He stumbled towards the fallen Fire Master, tilting her face to look into her still opened eyes directly. There was nothing in them, though she was breathing but rather shallowly. Draco ignored the pain that had begun to consume him-- the effects of the Cruciatus curse were taking its toll on him. A detached part of him heard Ginny falling down on her knees and began vomiting after she looked at the amount of blood spilled and the sword sticking out of Fenix's back. He heard and felt the hooves of horses coming from the direction of the Forest. _I have no strength left to call her back… : Harry. : _His mindvoice faltered uncertainly, but Harry did knelt beside him, ignoring the galloping of hooves, looking at the Slytherin expectantly. Professor Sprout and Professor McGonagall restored Dean and Neville and motioned the two boys to stay seated; their eyes scanning the Forest warily. Hermione was clutching at Ron's shirt, struggling not to cry as she watched Fenix's face began to turn into a deathly white. 

Draco did not know how to ask him but Harry linked his mind with the Slytherin easily and he looked at Harry gratefully. Sirius joined in the meld, as well as Snape and the werewolf._ : Fenix? :_ Only Draco's voice could be heard. He closed his eyes to search for the unconscious Fire Master. He finally found her calmly leaning against a tree trunk, her silver eyes smiling at him. _: Come back. : _She remained smiling at Draco but did not move away from her tree._ : Are you going to leave me now? : _he asked her desperately. Her expression changed and her eyes turned melancholy. She turned her head to her right and Draco saw a beckoning bright blue flame flickering in the distant between the trees. He felt Remus's despair as they felt her yearning to go to the light. Draco felt grief choking him down. Taking the strength of the people that had merged with him, Draco selfishly darted forward to grab the small form of the Fire Master in his arms, holding her tightly. _: I'm not letting you go. We're not giving you up, : _he said firmly, feeling his tears streaking his face slowly. _: Never. We love you too much to do that. :_

Something changed. The air that had been still began to show signs of activity. Autumn leaves began to drift towards them. They heard singing from somewhere in the woods. A horn blew. Dumbledore stared at the band calmly but was shocked to find that they were not centaurs. A familiar figure riding on a black steed, followed by two of his bodyguards on chestnut-colored stallions approached them. The leader and his two riders dismounted and their horses stood still. The leader inclined his head politely to the Headmaster and knelt at Fenix's side. His palm hovered at Fenix's sword and his two riders gently pushed Snape and Sirius away from her and echoed their leader's gesture. 

Slowly, Fenix's sword began to vanish and the three quickly wrapped her abdomen with pure Healing energy to stop the bleeding. There were several sharp intakes of breaths as the mounted band parted to admit a tall, striking man in black robes through. He strolled briskly towards the company and motioned the two riders away from Fenix. He spoke in slightly accented English. 

"This is something that I must do. I could not allow her to sustain serious damage that might do her and you," the stranger looked at Remus, "harm in the future. She is a woman after all." Only the adults were able to comprehend the meaning behind the stranger's sentence. Fenix suddenly opened her eyes and the first thing she felt was Draco's tears falling onto her face. 

__

: Mineif? How many times have I told you guys to keep him at home? : Fenix complained weakly to the two riders as she watched the Elven Lord and the stranger before falling into an exhausted sleep. 

"Still as mothering as she used to be," the Elven lord muttered. The stranger gave a crooked smile and began Healing her. 

Fifteen minutes later, the green energy that was flowing from the stranger and the Elven Lord subsided and the stranger nodded his head in satisfaction. He stood up, looking sternly at Dumbledore and the rest. "Make sure that she gets enough rest and refrain from asking her to do too much. It will take a while before she gets back to her full strength. Be relentless; she could be stubborn as a boar sometimes," the stranger said before vanishing. 

Mineif stood up and the rest of his band moved closer. Cadriel spoke up. "We should go to where it is protected. It's too unsafe here. We can't do anything about the dead as yet. We'll wait until the sun rises." Nods of agreement from around them. Draco wiped his eyes clear of tears and stood up just as Madam Pomfrey and the Paramedics hurried towards them, bearing stretchers. Cadriel and Sirius carefully lifted the sleeping Fenix up onto a stretcher and the Defenders surrounded the invalid, not trusting to let their guards down. Draco followed after Sirius, quickly moving away from Harry who had opened his mouth to speak to him. Harry sighed and he guided Ginny up to her feet, and saw Dean lumbering slowly to get to her. He turned to look back at the Forest. As if preventing him to entertain more dark thoughts, a couple of the Elven warriors steered him away and he had no choice but to go back towards the castle with the rest of them. The Rearguards and the warriors moved slowly, making sure that their backs were safe for the moment. 

**********

****

Back into the Great Hall… 

During the skirmish with the Death Eaters and the giants, Madam Pomfrey had turned a section of the Hall into an infirmary and Dumbledore promised her they would all go into the hospital wing-- crossing their fingers that the supplies were all safe-- in the morning to get all her stuff in the Hall. The Death Eaters still stuck inside the shield was locked inside the antechamber, because Dumbledore was having second thoughts about sending them back to Voldemort. As he was saying to his elder brother, he felt better if lesser Death Eaters were present by Voldemort's side, and also because of the two Death Eaters who were also the fathers of at least two of their own students. Fenix was sleeping on a pallet, surrounded by three wolves while Sirius and other teachers checked the students for any kind of injuries. Ginny-- after the encounter with the Lethifold and then the nauseating sight of a dying Fenix-- was having a severe case of hysteria. Mineif looked at the young girl in sympathy and after whispering to Dean to get her to lie down, he carefully rested his fingers on her forehead and she fell asleep. During all of these, Harry looked around for Draco to thank him and also to have Snape check him if he was all right, but the Slytherin was not around the Hall. The doors to the Hall were open and he wondered if he was still lingering outside. 

__

: He's in the dungeon, : someone whispered in his mind and Harry frowned. A handsome elf with violet eyes looked directly at him and jerked his head slightly toward the direction of the dungeons. Harry narrowed his eyes speculatively and watched Hermione whispering softly to Ron. His godfather was still checking the rest of the students and Moody was busy in helping Hagrid setting up more pallets for the students. Snape was conversing softly with the person that had provided him sanctuary decades ago. Remus was too preoccupied with his partner to notice anything else. Harry stood up carefully and made his exit as unobtrusively as he could, although he could not hide his movements from the elves who were watching everything calmly. 

He silently went down the narrow staircase and whispered to his wand. _"Lumos." _He searched each dungeon carefully. There was someone leaning against a wall and he approached the figure carefully. It was the founder of Slytherin. 

__

"You're lucky he isn't in the common room," Salazar whispered, his handsome face was solemn then he gracefully pointed at the door of one dungeon. The ghost gave him another look before he vanished. 

__

"Nox," Harry whispered and the light of his wand went out, and he tucked the wand safely back into his pocket. The door to the dungeon opened silently and he saw the Slytherin hunched down on a bench, face covered by his palms. He closed the door back, and the room instantly became immensely dark, which was perfect for him but he sighed as something began emitting a whitish dim light._ At least now I won't bump into anything while walking,_ he thought comfortingly to himself. 

He sat down slowly beside Draco, though at a safe distance. He opened his mouth to talk, then felt totally awkward at having to say it aloud. _: You better let Snape check you over, : _Harry began uneasily. The Slytherin was unusually silent._ : And thank you for what you did, both for Fenix and me. :_

Draco's shoulders was shaking and he laughed a soft bitter laugh._ : I don't mind what I did for Fenix but I am a fool… to bind myself to you by saving you… :_ he continued laughing and Harry stared at him, suddenly feeling angry. _No matter how long he had been with us, he's still a git._ He gritted his teeth furiously but kept a tight rein on his temper. _: Can you believe it? : _Draco was asking him. _: I actually love her more than I love my own mother! :_ The Slytherin gasped, his laughter turning into something more desperate._ : You people have made me weak, Harry. :_ He shamelessly let his tears fall, clutching his sides in despair as he rocked back and forth, overwhelmed by sudden grief. _: I'm beginning to care what happens to _you_. : _The last sentence seemed like a blow to Harry's stomach. He could not breathe. He realized that tonight was the first time Draco had ever called him by his name. _: Why, Harry? Why must you complicate my life? :_

Harry was struck speechless. His mind was in a whirl. Draco was shuddering so greatly with choking sobs that the bench was shaking. Draco suddenly whirled to face him and Harry was stunned, when Harry caught sight of the Slytherin's silver eyes, streaming tears. _I must be going mental._ He frowned as he thought silently, _he has silver eyes just like Fenix!_

__

: God… how much I hate you. : Draco's mindvoice was so full of venom, making Harry flinch. At first he thought Draco was referring to the Almighty but that thought evaporated when Draco's anger at the situation flowed into him and knew that the Slytherin was blaming him. 

__

: I didn't ask you to knock me out of the way! : Harry snapped out, his own green eyes were misting out of anger. 

Draco stared at the young man sitting beside him, feeling guilt and horror gnawing at his heart. _That's just it, isn't it? I could have turned a blind eye, or just cast a shield over him, but I didn't._ He stared at the pair of green eyes, mirroring almost the same amount of anguish that he was feeling._ Love him…_ He began laughing hysterically. _I know I'm in a 'puppy love' with Alamanda. _His hysterical laugh became more shrill. _But I'm beginning to love _him? _I must be having some kind of breakdown… I care for Potty?_ The truth hurt him more deeply than the memory of having his parents branding him as an outcast.

__

: STUBBORN GIT! : Harry yelled in his mind, standing up and looked down at Draco furiously. _: JUST ADMIT THE TRUTH THAT YOU DO CARE FOR ME LIKE YOU CARE FOR THE REST OF US! : _He suddenly froze, feeling a little surprised at his own words. He took a moment to reexamine himself, not really seeing that Draco had got up to his feet. _Have I really accepted him into the 'family'? _Harry scowled a little and repeated the sentence to himself silently. His heart tightened every time he did that. Flashes of memories of Draco laughing along with them during their meals cropped up suddenly in his mind and he wondered how he had managed to miss it. That sudden knowledge did not repel him as he thought it would. _It feels right, he belongs to us now_. Harry blinked in confusion, suppressing his own hysteria. He was still deep in thought when he felt arms around him and he returned the hug in relief. _: Stop being a git. Let's go back up and let Madam Pomfrey or someone check you. I'm sure that the curse is still lingering and I think you overtaxed yourself, :_ he said conversationally. _: By the way, your eyes have turned silver. :_

__

: I know. Salazar told me. : 

**********


	50. Sirius's Black Day

**~ Chapter 50: Sirius's Black Day ~**

**Back in the 'infirmary'…**

Madam Pomfrey grumbled slightly as Sirius helped her in removing Fenix's black leather shirt. Luna had cast a temporary shield so no one else would take a peek on the half naked Fire Master, if you ignored the fact that Fenix was wearing her black sports bra. The nurse was muttering under her breath just how lucky the Fire Master had been, to be saved by the stranger, and also healing her reproductive organs before it was too late. Most of the students were asleep except for Luna and a handful of others, who had complained that they were far too keyed up to sleep. That was fine with Dumbledore, as they kept watch on the Hall while the Headmaster, Aberforth, Snape and several of the elves went with them to investigate if the hospital wing was intact, and also to move most of the medical supplies into either the Hall or one of the dungeons.

__

_ : Don't get any ideas, Padfoot, : _the Fire Master's fiancé spoke firmly, feeling slightly annoyed at the way that Sirius was looking at his oathsister. It was lucky that only Remus was watching. If Snape had been there with them, he would be gravely insulted and start a brawl with Sirius for the sheer fun of doing some damage to the handsome Black.

__

_ : I'm not, but she has a rather nice stomach, doesn't she? Had you ever noticed it, Moony? : _Sirius answered absently, looking at Fenix's slim waist and admiring the subtle muscles then winced when Madam Pomfrey whispered harshly.

"Mr. Black!" the nurse objected, her eyes flaring widely in disgust and Sirius apologized profusely to her.

__

_ : I did get to see her sword mark in great detail, you know. Several times, in fact, :_ Remus replied flippantly. Sirius looked at the werewolf, aghast. Sirius uttered several curses at his best friend by silent communication, with 'carnal' being the mildest of them all.

__

_ : I will kill you, if you happened to get her pregnant even before you marry her, : _Sirius threatened seriously as he examined the tender scar just slightly before her navel, scowling blackly at the werewolf, who was trying to muffle the low growls of amusement coming from his throat. Wind nipped him gently at his side to remind him to behave himself. Remus's amusement subsided, embarrassment now filling him. Madam Pomfrey handed him a bottle of salve that Snape had rescued for her just for Fenix, handing the precious bottle to one of the house-elves that had tagged along to help Dumbledore. They-- the house-elves-- seemed terribly fascinated by the Elven warriors that accompanied them.

Winky seemed to be smitten with Cadriel. Her eyes often strayed to his handsome face, staring dreamily at his pair of deep blue, catlike eyes. The elf was not displeased with the attention he was gaining so he moved right along, looking at the state of the hospital room with pity. The house-elves and the Elementals helped to stabilize the floors of the wing with their magic, as elves, house-elves and wizards moved briskly in emptying the hospital wing of its medical supplies.

Sirius carefully applied the salve, strongly smelling of chamomile and other fragrances, gently onto her scar. Fenix suddenly levitated, supported by unseen hands. Wind informed him that it was just the Sylphs and Sirius quickly applied the salve to her back. The nurse was not surprised at all at the floating Fire Master; she quickly scoured the bags of bandages and finally came up with one that she wanted. The two humans, and other invisible hands, began wrapping the bandage about Fenix's tender abdomen briskly.

**********

In the dungeon…

The two students in the dungeon fell silent after fifteen minutes of conversation. Harry had asked the Slytherin how he was able to replicate Fenix's blue fire but all they were able to do was contemplate and made several wild guesses. Draco was just as clueless as Harry was, regarding to the sudden transition of his gray eyes to silver ones.

__

_ : Draco… about just now… :_ Harry began, fidgeting uneasily on the bench.

__

_ : I was acting irrationally, Four-Eyes, : _Draco said brusquely, referring to the hug he had given Harry impulsively. The latter however, was glad that the hug he gave the Slytherin was a brotherly one, much like the kind of hugs he exchanged with his best friend, Ron.

__

_ : I knew you would say that, :_ Harry said in feigned disappointment and Draco gave a derisive snort.

__

_ : I think if we were to question Fenix, she would confirm that a period of absurdity generally occurs after a battle or a major case of adrenaline rush or something. I knew I've read something about temporarily going 'mental' after major dueling somewhere in a history book… : _Draco mused. _: That doesn't mean I don't care about you though. But what do I know about love between siblings? I'm the only child. :_

_ : I guess that's a way to explain it… but brothers? : _Harry grimaced. _: With you? :_

_ : I'm supposed to be the one to ask that question, :_ the Slytherin argued, his mindvoice was thick with resentment, making Harry grin widely. Draco gasped suddenly, clutching his head and Harry felt disconcerted for a moment due to the immense pain that traveled down the link from the Slytherin to Harry. Draco went limp and Harry moved in quickly to catch the Slytherin. A quick examination told Harry that the boy was still alive; he had just fainted._ Great… I know Sirius would think very creatively if he finds out that I had been with Draco, in a dungeon that was barely lighted. But it will be fun if he did…_

**********

Sirius straightened his back as he finished helping Madam Pomfrey fastening Fenix's bandage, then covered Fenix with a thick blanket. He saw that Remus had inevitably fallen asleep, and then looked around to inspect the vast room that was punctuated by the snores of the students. He frowned when he found that Harry was not in the Hall. His eyes narrowed and scanned the Hall once more, but still, no Harry.

__

_ : Sirius? : _Harry's mindvoice called out rather urgently.

__

_ : Harry, where are you? : _His godfather was still scowling as he strode forward to the entrance of the Great Hall. Aldren, who was standing guard by the door, gave him a sly look and Sirius did not like what the look portended.

__

_ : I'm in one of the dungeons, : _Harry's mindvoice faltered, almost afraid that his godfather might explode. Sirius went down the narrow steps of the dungeons and bumped into his godson._ : Drake had just collapsed… he's too heavy for me to lift. :_

_ : And what were you two doing? : _Sirius's mindvoice said darkly, so filled with suspicions. Harry just gave him an innocent look and just stated that they had been talking-- which was true. He controlled the laughter that was bubbling inside him when he felt Sirius's various feelings that came down through their link and he gave a slightly audible sigh because his godfather _had_ assumed the worst. He led his godfather back into the room where he and Draco had spent several minutes talking, and winced when Sirius's eyes widened at the darkness of the room._ I wonder why he's thinking too much about that… maybe he should have a girlfriend. _Harry stared at his godfather's back in amusement.

Sirius in the meantime felt a headache building up in his head. Although he could not see Harry's face, he was able to tell by the link that his godson was profoundly embarrassed by something and Sirius was not sure if he wanted to know why. Of course Harry felt embarrassed! His godfather was thinking that Draco had seduced him, and what an apocalypse it would be if Sirius interrogated Draco under pressure before he had the time to make the truth known. Sirius's wand lit up, giving it to Harry as he examined the oblivious Slytherin, where Harry had laid him on the bench. His hand snaked out to feel the boy's forehead and as he had expected, Draco was having a high fever. It was either that, or he had lost his control of fire again. Critically examining the boy, Sirius reckoned that not even he could lift the Slytherin. Dobby and another house-elf appeared at Sirius's silent request, holding up a stretcher in their hands.

Sirius silently commanded Harry to lift Draco's legs and they heaved the boy down to the stretcher and carried the Slytherin back up to have him examined by the nurse, or better still, have the Elven Lord to do it. They went up the narrow staircase with no difficulty at all, and Harry met the same elf that had informed him the whereabouts of the Slytherin prefect. As Harry was holding the rear of the stretcher-- which was where Draco's feet were-- Sirius was the first to face Aldren. The violet-eyed elf was still gazing slyly at him and Sirius muttered a curse and the elf shot a wink at Harry as they passed him and entered the almost-silent Hall.

The Elven Lord broke off his muted conversation with Firenze, walking quickly over to them and peered down at the pale face of the boy. Mineif pointed to an unoccupied pallet in between Fenix's pallet, and the pallet that was shared by Ginny and Dean. The Elven Lord gracefully sat down and waited for them patiently to load the unconscious boy to the makeshift bed. When they did, he began his examination and ten minutes later, he concluded that Draco was just suffering from a great deal of stress. Mineif rattled off the causes before any of them could impose questions on the elf. One: by taking the full brunt of the Cruciatus Curse, two: using his Wild Talent to overcome the Curse and then use the talent to attempt at making a bonfire out of the Death Eaters, and three: straining his mind a little to bring Fenix back to them. At the same time, Mineif was communicating silently with Harry, who was acting as if nobody was conversing with him the other way.

__

_ : It was just as well that this friend of yours had called Fenix back over to the living side. The loss of the oathsister might just drive your godfather mad and he might become suicidal. So no point taking chances, : _Mineif informed the young boy gravely. "So, this one should be all right, but he needs plenty of rest for the next three days. I reckon that it will also be when Fenix will finally regain her consciousness…" His soft, musical voice trailed off when Harry looked doubtfully at him and then at the form of the sleeping Fire Master. Mineif gave an encouraging look to him.

"Would Fenix try to go for the light?" he asked solemnly. Mineif gave a brief start of surprise before he started to scowl.

"How did you know about the light?" the Elven Lord questioned him sharply.

"Draco was the one who found it. I guess it has got something to do with him being a Mindhealer…"

"He is?" the Elven Lord exclaimed, then rechecked Draco. "You're right," he said absently, peeling Draco's right eye open then suddenly gave a sharp breath. "His eyes…" Mineif automatically stared at Fenix.

"His eyes were gray, but somehow after he let the flames engulf him earlier just now, his eyes changed," Harry answered.

"Enough talking." Madam Pomfrey suddenly interrupted them. "Sirius, Harry, go and get some sleep," she instructed firmly, and the Elven Lord nodded in agreement.

**********

Thursday, 1st November. Mid-morning…

Sirius was feeling irritated as he helped Madam Pomfrey, Sprout, Cadriel and Snape rearrange the medical supplies in one chilly dungeon. The Salamanders had politely declined to heat up the room, as most of the medicines were stored best in chilly conditions. _What on earth is going on between Draco and Harry?_ He thought, ignoring Snape's contemplative look. Remus had escaped to one of the isolated dungeons where Winky attended him as he changed back to his human form. Sirius had introduced him to Aldren and they seemed to get along well with each other, for the werewolf and the elves were back to scouting about the castle while Aberforth, Hagrid and some of the elves searched for a place where the Elven steeds would be safe. Sirius was thinking about the rooms available and safe on the ground floor when the Potions Master interrupted his brooding.

__

_ : Does it bother you so much? :_ Snape's thought reached him.

__

_ : What on earth are you talking about, Snivellus? : _Sirius evaded the Potions Master's question with one of his own, feeling rather testy.

__

_ : Well, if you're too blind to see… there's no point in enlightening you up. : _Snape calmly rearranged the set of clean bandages into a cupboard that had been wiped sterile with the antiseptic potion that Fenix had concocted months ago and totally ignored Harry's godfather. Somehow, that sentence made Sirius more edgy than ever.

**********

That evening…

Flickers of lightning flashed through the windows of the Hall, creating an eerie atmosphere in the vast room. The temperature had dropped greatly and the Salamanders had no qualms about using their magic to heat the room up to a more comfortable temperature. Murmurs of soft conversation filled the Hall with Lee's group being the loudest. Draco, who was still having a fever and looked it, kept glaring at whoever who suddenly spoke up too loudly. The high-pitched sounds that suddenly ripped the air made his head pound even more. Alamanda whispered something to Hermione, and the prefect announced clearly that she would cast the Silencing Charm if they would not behave themselves. Draco was whispering so softly to Harry about the elves but the latter was not able to tell him much about them and the Slytherin was constantly fretting about his eye color, while Harry pondered how long Fenix's shield would stay up. Draco had reassured him that it was still holding and probably the Elven Lord had laid another shield as a fail-safe.

Sirius kept giving uneasy glances at the softly speaking forms of Draco and his godson, as they all lounged after dinner._ Why isn't he talking to Alamanda? _Sirius did not know that Alamanda was sulking because Draco seemed totally engrossed in his debate with The Boy Who Lived, and had failed to catch her boyfriend's attention or understand what their debate was about. Sirius strangely felt tired, but that was to be expected as most of them had to cast a Freezing Charm on the carcasses of the dead giants because the only way that they could be disposed was through Fenix's Fire. However, since she would not be able to function without killing herself, they had to devise a spell that would prevent the giants from rotting until she was completely Healed. Sirius could not keep his silence any longer. He stood up, then began to create a shield about himself, his godson and the Slytherin prefect, surprising Alamanda, Hermione and the rest of their close friends. Harry looked at him in horror as he realized what his godfather had just done while Draco stared at both of them in puzzlement.

__

_ : Sirius! Wait! : _Harry yelled but his godfather ignored him and began questioning the puzzled Slytherin impassively. Draco paled even more, eyes narrowing as his head began to pound painfully, after hearing the most offensive question he had ever been asked, then calmly requested Sirius to explain how he had arrived at that particular conclusion. Draco wore a look of sufferance and sarcastically commented, looking at Harry as he said it.

__

_ : And you got this man to be your guardian? :_ Draco shook his head sympathetically.

__

_ : It wasn't exactly my idea you know, :_ Harry sighed.

Hermione and the others were looking at the silent profiles of three of their friends. "What on earth are they doing?"

"Don't bother with them, Hermione." Ron shrugged, lying down on his pallet.

__

_ : We're family, right? Except for Fenix and Lupin who are engaged, and Granger and Weasley who are an item. Since Snape is technically, Fenix's brother, and you are also her brother, right? I'm Snape's godson, which puts me in the same rank with Harry, right? Doesn't that mean the both of us are… like cousins? Possibly brothers? :_ Draco finally came down to the conclusion, sadistically enjoying Sirius's increasing embarrassment._ : Even if you don't object, I'm quite sure that _my_ godfather would heartily disapprove of incest, :_ the Slytherin said icily.

__

_ : All right! :_ Sirius's handsome face was red with embarrassment, not hearing Ginny's comment on how dashing the blushing man actually looked. _: I apologize! :_ Sirius then swore, and Harry chuckled lightly as his godfather was extremely dunked in total embarrassment.

__

_ : Hey, Drake, :_ Harry said as he casually threw a Chocolate Frog at him, _: are you giving Snape his latest ammunition? :_ he asked, eyeing his godfather teasingly and the Slytherin looked thoughtfully at him.

__

_ : I think I'll save it until Fenix awakens. It's more profitable by the way, : _Draco answered earnestly.

Harry's godfather looked at them in alarm. The two boys then laughed heartily when Sirius lamented, _"Why am I so stupid to be trapped by a pair of kids?"_

_ : Who the hell are you calling kids? : _Draco broke off from his laugh, feeling rather insulted at Sirius's comment, while Harry doubled up, laughing uncontrollably.

Hermione looked hopelessly at the three silent figures then gave a long sigh. "Just as well that Sirius had built a soundproof shield."

**********  



	51. Snape's Protégé Or Fenix's?

****

~ Chapter 51: Snape's Protégé or Fenix's? ~

  
Sirius had taken off the shield, revealing Harry who was captivated by laughter. Ron, still lying down on his makeshift pallet, reached for a red cushion and lazily aimed it at Harry's face. Harry gave a groan when it hit him directly on the face and looked sheepishly at his friends, disapproval showing clearly on their faces. Harry mouthed an apology, making Hermione roll her eyes upward theatrically, before going back to read a book that Remus had given her.

Earlier that day, since Dumbledore had strictly ordered the students to remain in the Hall, Hermione had grown increasingly hysterical. She seemed to have forgotten about her cat after the encounter with the Lethifolds and Dementors, and then the fight with the giants occupied her mind totally. After listening to Hermione's worries, Draco blanched as he thought of his eagle-owl and was about to get out off his pallet when Professor Grubby-Plank came in. She informed them that all their pets were all safe, and a flash of orange whisked past her to head straight for his owner. Hermione let out an exclamation of relief and cuddled Crookshanks tightly, not really listening to Grubby-Plank's news that their pets had been installed into the antechamber situated beside the Great Hall. 

"What about the owls?" Draco asked urgently. 

"They're coming…" she informed them and headed out just as dozens of owls trickled in. Hagrid steered away from the cats that had followed Crookshanks into the Hall and backed out of the place, since he was terribly allergic to cat fur. 

Back to the present, Harry was still laughing at his godfather and his euphoria carried over to the link that was still connected to Draco. The Slytherin was wearing a slightly pained expression but he was also amused by the incident. He requested Harry to tone down his ebullience. "Sorry…" Harry choked down on his laughter that turned into a series of coughs. Draco shook his head in disgust and looked around for Alamanda. 

"Come," Draco commanded the girl, feeling a little surprise by the unfriendly way she was staring at him. She was still feeling displeased but got up and sat next to him. The Slytherin looked pointedly at Harry. "Get off my bed, Four-Eyes." 

"Chill out… _git_," Harry's reply was punctuated by racking coughs as he crawled away from the Slytherin's bed to Sirius's. 

"Harry!" Alamanda protested in a weak voice. 

As if he was still feeling dissatisfied with Sirius, Draco tugged Alamanda closer to give her a kiss. Catcalls erupted as they looked at Alamanda's face turning bright red, while Hermione collapsed in laughter. Sirius laughed ly at the open display of affection while Harry grabbed a soft pillow and covered his face, eyes streaming tears as he burst out with laughter, slightly tinged with hysteria. 

Draco slowly broke off from the kiss and looked fondly at his girlfriend, who quickly hide her face on his chest. _I wonder why she was not the one to come looking for me in the dungeon… but judging by the way I acted with Harry yesterday, I'm lucky she didn't came down. I might have done something that I might regret._ He extremely loved the way Alamanda was holding him and could not resist giving her another kiss. 

The catcalls quickly turned into coughs and the students pretended to busy themselves when Snape and Remus returned. The latter wore an amused expression when he saw Draco and Alamanda together, then slowly made his way down to the still-sleeping Fenix, leaving the Potions Master at the entrance. Snape was looking at his godson in disbelief, then he strode forward silently and stopped directly behind his favorite student. He cleared his throat noisily and muffled chuckles echoed about the Hall, drawing in some of the elves to look at the students with interest. 

The Slytherin prefect carefully screened Alamanda's face while he gave a sigh so full of regret. "Yes, Professor?" he asked lazily, looking up at the Potions Master with his silver eyes. 

__

: Draco, for once… act your age, : Snape pleaded, rubbing his temple tiredly. 

__

: But I am, aren't I? : Draco pointed out dryly. 

__

: I think you are sorely in need of discipline. : 

__

: No one has taught me yet. I am still a spoilt brat after all, : Draco replied indifferently. Snape threw his hands up in the air in defeat, then his eyes widened when he saw Fenix struggling to sit up. Remus was looking quite angry when she stubbornly pushed him away. Her 'family' began to crowd around her. Moody, seeing the sudden commotion, quickly instructed them to give the Fire Master a breathing space when she looked slightly breathless. 

"Thanks, Moody," Fenix croaked out. "Although I don't want to know how you managed to find out that I'm claustrophobic." The ex-Auror nodded his head calmly and satisfied that her 'family' now had understood to give her a breathing space, he went back to Mineif. Fenix looked slightly dazed but her silver eyes turned clear and she scowled darkly at Sirius. 

"Fenix," Snape began, kneeling beside her, his eyes showing his concern. "You're not supposed to be awake…yet." 

__

: Draco, take pity on me, : Sirius gulped, not liking the way the Fire Master was scrutinizing his face. He stared anxiously at his oathsister, while trying to control his emotions. _It's possible that she would be very sensitive to emotions and thoughts, _he thought to himself. 

__

: I know, Sev. But something _broke my concentration when I was recharging my reserves while I'm sleeping. :_ Her mindvoice was acidic as she glared at Sirius, then at Harry and Draco. 

__

: I think we're in trouble, : Harry sent his thought to his godfather and to the Slytherin beside him. 

__

: No doubt, : Draco replied with a straight face and Sirius winced when Fenix questioned them coldly. 

__

: What's this about Draco seducing Harry? : Fenix broadcast her inquiry to Sirius, Remus, Snape and the named ones, looking quite intimidating for a woman who had just recovered from her near-death.

__

: I knew I hadn't blocked myself fast enough. : Harry's godfather moaned softly and at the same time Draco's godfather yelped out.

__

: What? : Snape exclaimed, giving Draco a horrified look. 

__

: It's nothing, sister, : Sirius answered quickly. _: Just a small misunderstanding. :_

Snape stared coldly at his godson. _: Explain, Draco. :_

"Are you sure you want to hear my explanation?" the Slytherin answered calmly, and their friends exchanged puzzled looks at his abrupt sentence. The Potions Master did not answer so Draco began to describe his feelings and confusion in great detail and then added in Sirius's wild conclusion, communicating with their alternative way of speaking. 

Fenix shook her head in amusement, as she listened to Draco, and finally chuckled weakly when the boy finished._ : As Sirius told you, it was a small misunderstanding. :_ Draco ended his explanation, looking impassively at the Potions Master, who was staring at the two boys and then Sirius with shock. 

That was understandable because he had just thought that Draco had let go of his pride to acknowledge that he was beginning to care for the people that he was working with. Snape had not expected that Draco might actually want Harry to be his partner. Thankfully, his student had regained his senses and prevented any other complications. Snape then sneered at Sirius._ : For a man, who had seen Death in the face, you have an extremely perverted mind, Black. :_

__

: Don't push it, Snivellus. I'm feeling bad enough, : Sirius lashed out. 

__

: Bro… you're not thinking clearly… : Her amusement drifted through their links and Harry and Draco smiled brightly at her, relieved that she was acting like her usual self.

"Dear Lord." Snape sighed, suddenly feeling drained. Draco crawled on his knees and prodded Snape away so that he could approach the Fire Master. A lot of questions were building in his mind but he knew that now was not the time to bombard her with his questions. They all looked at him curiously when he carefully drew her into his arms, ignoring her fiancé who was looking at him archly. Fenix did not fight but let Draco hug her carefully. Snape did give a faint smile as he watched the two. 

Montague and the rest of Draco's gang looked at their gang leader in amusement. "I feel like I've been dunked a little too long in syrup," he observed and gave a grimace. 

"What an unhealthy influence," Warrington agreed, making a face. "But I wouldn't mind having someone like Alamanda to cuddle me... though," he added dreamily. Evina Grierson, one of Dina's girlfriends, whispered something to her group of girls and they burst out giggling, making the Slytherin boys looked at them with suspicion in their eyes. 

Fenix was dazed by the intense emotions coming from the youth holding her and chuckled lightly. There was something different however. Draco had appeared normal to her before this but somehow being near him actually comforted her. _So what is different? _She frowned slightly._ Something must have happened yesterday, but I can't really remember what happened when I fell to the ground. _Fenix gently probed the boy with her Gifts, then quickly withdrew them. She was trembling. _A mirror… reflection…_

"Draco…" Fenix breathed, pulling away and instinctively cupped his chin to look into his eyes. "Dear Gods…" She was speechless. She was looking into a pair of eyes that was her own. Elation began to build up in her. 

"Fenix?" Snape questioned the Fire Master softly, not understanding the wonder that was radiating out of her. 

__

: It's nothing, Sev, : Fenix replied dreamily. 

__

: What do you mean by nothing? : Draco questioned her dangerously. _: If it's nothing, then why are you feeling so happy? :_

Fenix could not stop smiling. _: You will understand… soon enough… : _she reassured him. 

"You're awake…" Mineif approached the group, his face glowing with happiness. 

"It's obvious, isn't it?" she answered, glowering at him. "What can I do to keep you in the Grove, Old Wolf?" She finally released the Slytherin boy, while the rest watched her giving casual treatment to the Elven Lord. "Wrap you with coercions?" Mineif chuckled as he looked down at her. Fenix paled and Draco immediately made her lay back down again. "Sorry guys… but I think I have to go back to sleep…" Her eyes began to close and fell asleep instantly. The Slytherin covered her back with the light blanket and paused long enough to give her a kiss on the forehead.

Snape sighed and looked around the Hall. "Since you have nothing else to do," his voice carried effortlessly to all corners of the Hall, "you might as well get some sleep." The students sighed and began breaking up. Alamanda had already gone back to her circle of friends and Draco was contented to remain with Harry and their godfathers. 

Sirius gave a silent signal to the three other people and moved away slowly, to let his best friend spend some time with the Fire Master. While Sirius and the two boys lied down on their makeshift beds, Snape sat himself against the wall, looking at Draco intently. _: What? : _The boy could not help but ask his godfather. 

__

: I think you have been marked by your 'Aunt', : Sirius answered for the Potions Master. Draco gazed expectantly at his godfather and Snape finally gave a nod. 

__

: What do you mean, 'marked'? : 

__

: Come to think of it, it's slightly obvious, : Harry interjected, turning on his side to look at Draco directly. _: First, you have the same abilities that Fenix has, you know? She has the capability to incinerate something, like you had done yesterday. And another, you're a master of shields. Funny, :_ Harry gave a lopsided grin at his friend,_ : it seems that there is much more to you than meets the eye, Drake. :_

Snape chuckled lightly. _: Well, as soon as your 'Aunt', :_ he gave a sly look at Harry's godfather, _: gets her strength back, I'm sure that she would want to train you. :_

__

: That is a good idea, : Harry said fervently. _: You had better learn how to control your emerald fire, Drake. :_

__

: Do you want to know why your eyes are silver by the way? : Aldren casually implanted himself beside Sirius, smiling at the two boys. 

__

: All right. How? : Draco asked easily. 

__

: You have the capability at controlling Magick the way Fenix does. I'm not really talking about her being an Elemental Master. The ability to create and penetrate complex shields for one. Having you as a Mindhealer clearly labels you as something different from your counterparts here. By the looks of it, you do seem like you have the Adept Potential, : the violet-eyed elf answered. 

__

: But how does that explain me being silver-eyed? : Draco asked in exasperation, though he did not understand what the elf meant by Adept-potential. Aldren laughed at his impudence. 

__

: That emerald-fire was the one that had caused the change. You are something much like Fenix, although if I were to bet, I would say rather than a Phoenix, your natural form would be the Great Dragon. You do know that she is a Phoenix, don't you? : Aldren asked the company and they nodded. Harry had informed Draco about Fenix's real identity when the Slytherin began to unbend enough for him to be friendly with the others, and the Slytherin had approached the Fire Master to confirm the news, and had returned to his friends, looking a little wild-eyed. _: I assume that your eyes glowed like how Fenix's did, when she's extremely irritated? : _the elf asked in interest, leaning forward slightly to stare at Draco then chuckled when all four males nodded._ : That's her all right; except that her Fire is blue. The simplest way I could explain is that you had taken Magick to the maximum and began transmuting it into pure energy. I think that's how Fenix went silver-eyed in the first place. She's immortal-- well… sort of. Maybe reincarnation is a better word to describe the process. She is born a human, but with deep memories that had been locked away until she's ready… :_

That sentence made Draco twitch nervously, because it felt familiar. Aldren continued as if he had not seen the look of surprise on the Slytherin's face. _: So all she knows-- back then-- that she had strange powers, when she was nearing her puberty and had attracted the attention of her school teacher, who was also a Fire Mage. He had a general idea of her real identity and was careful to bring her Fire out. When it did, it was… well, rather spontaneous, and not controlled. It damaged her mentor's workroom quite a bit. :_ Aldren paused for a while and winced when lightning hit the wall directly behind him. It was quite deafening._ : So began the practices, for her to contain her Fire by making it and herself into the form of animals. I remembered that her mentor told us once, when she had tried to work in the form of a boar, the results were rather disastrous. It was just as well that they held their practice in a secluded area. :_

__

: When did she find out about her Phoenix? : Harry asked curiously. 

__

: A few months later. Her mentor noticed that her control was more reliable when she took the form of birds, especially a raven or an eagle. It was quite amusing actually. By then, Fenix had attracted quite a handful of the elves, especially my father and a cousin of mine. Luis helped her mentor to draw up a list of all bird species, and somehow without knowing why, my father had also impulsively added the word Phoenix. : 

__

: That sounds tiring. : Draco gulped as he tried to imagine himself being trained that way by Fenix. _: You mean that she had to go through the A-Z list? :_

__

: Yeah… but of course that stopped when she tried her Phoenix form. : Aldren chuckled. _: So she didn't have to waste her time on the Q-Z list. :_

__

: Did anything else happen when she took on that form? : Snape asked curiously. 

__

: Yes. She gave us a fright when she became invisible and took off without warning. Went missing for several days, and came back with quite a different personality. From young, she had been silent and does not socialize a lot, preferring to stay indoors to read her books or go outside and tend her garden. That hasn't really changed as she went into adulthood. If I had remembered correctly, : Aldren pursed his lips as he thought hard, _: she went missing for about five days, then returned with silver eyes and a sharp tongue… and a sense of humor… a bit warped sometimes, and as you know, she also possessed the talents of an assassin. She extremely loves to nettle my father a lot, : _Aldren informed them. 

The elf let them think on his words for a while, before Sirius hazarded a question. _: So her memories as the Ancient were activated only when she took her form? : _the Elf nodded. Snape, Sirius and Harry looked speculatively at Draco, and the Slytherin blushed uneasily. 

__

: Somehow it feels good to know that I'm normal. : Harry grinned at him. 

__

: What are you implying, Four-Eyes? : Draco said threateningly. 

__

: Nothing… : Harry answered innocently. 

Draco snorted, then gave his friend a sidelong look. _: Don't be too sure about your normalness though, : _he said in a warning tone. _: 'The Chamber of Secrets was meant to be opened by you, but thankfully you did not. I did not reckon Tom Riddle to have a basilisk habituating in there. And I absolutely hate it when I have to abort my plans because of that.' : _he recited, almost imitating Hermione. Harry had completely forgotten about Salazar Slytherin's cryptic remarks on Hallowe'en night. 

__

: Why must you remind me? : Harry moaned, lying flat on his back and looked up at the ceiling of false starry sky. :_ Now, I have to deal with my curiosity. Unlike you, who could ask Fenix about your Fire, I have to ask a ghost who might not appear soon enough to my liking, or if I want to know what he wants... : _he said rather sulkily, making the rest of the group chuckle. _Why am I supposed to be the Heir? So was Voldemort carrying out Salazar's wishes, or had Voldemort acted out on his own? Damnation… I don't understand a single thing about the Chamber of Secrets now…_ Harry gave a pensive sigh. 

Snape gave a long sigh and gave Draco a look that seemed to be disappointed. His godson frowned at him and Snape spoke to him alone. _: I was thinking about making you my protégé, :_ the Potions Master explained, his mindvoice sounding a little wistful.

Draco suddenly sat up, his eyes going round with incredulity. _: Why? :_ His heart was pounding excitedly, not able to believe that Snape had actually considered the idea.

__

: Do I really have to explain myself? : Snape said in a rueful tone. _: Other than Granger, you're the natural in Potions. And since you're my godson… :_ The Potions Master did not bother finishing his sentence. 

Draco's face lit up with a bright smile._ : So what's making you hesitate? Fenix's training wouldn't last that long… and I do need a career to last me a lifetime, don't I? : _he asked cheerfully, suddenly feeling happy. 

__

: You won't really have time to rest, you know… Being a Potions Master isn't an easy course… : Snape said dubiously and glowered at Draco when the boy swore. 

__

: Whatever, but I want to be like you. : Draco said abruptly and did not bother letting Snape answer, as he released the mind-link and went to sleep. 

**********

__

"Salz…" Godric called out. The founder of Slytherin was looking down at The Boy Who Lived from above. _"What are you doing?"_

__

"As you can see, Ric, I'm watching," he answered sarcastically. 

__

"None of that… you're going melancholy again." 

__

"How could I not be? If Voldemort wasn't a rotten soul in the first place, I wouldn't have found the need to linger and this destruction of the School wouldn't have happened." Salz gave a long sigh. 

__

"Might I remind you that your kind has souls like that? Anyway, what is this business with Harry Potter? Even I did not understand what you had said yesterday." Ric pestered his best friend. 

__

"Are you saying that the lovely lady down there has_ a rotten soul?" _Salz asked acidly and his friend flushed. _"He was supposed to receive something in the Chamber of Secrets… but_ not _the basilisk. How long had that been there anyway?"_

__

"A couple of decades? I'm not too sure though…" 

__

"It's just as well that Voldemort has passed his gift of animal speech to Harry, and making Harry the Heir almost by default. I don't think I have the guts to remain here for another century or so. And Harry is much a suitable candidate for what I had in mind." Salz looked at the sleeping werewolf. "_My messenger had passed the gift to Harry, and the Purpose that Harry should fulfill-- if he survives this major interruption-- would be revealed if Harry goes down with the gift to the Chamber again, up to the dais."_ He gave another sigh. _"It's just as well I couldn't cry… being a ghost… but I feel…"_ his voice trailed off, and he sank into depression once more. 

__

"I think being separated from Helga's making you fey-- no pun intended, Salz. Come, we'll visit her and Wen." Roc pulled his friend into the direction of the Hufflepuff's common room. 

The Hall was silent except from the tempest that was brewing outside. Aldren and his father remained behind the Hall to guard the students while the other elves, with Charlie, the Aurors, and the Dumbledore brothers began their patrol for the night again. Aldren had heard the soft conversation between the founders of Slytherin and Gryffindor. All elves possessed good eyesight, and although the ceiling of the Great Hall was high, Aldren was able to pinpoint that Salazar was looking at Remus and not the Fire Master as he said _'My messenger had passed the gift to Harry'_. Aldren pursed his lips as he contemplated, watching the sleeping forms of Fenix's friends. _I have to remember this and maybe ask Remus about the gift that he gave Harry tomorrow…_

********** 


	52. Consequences

****

~ Chapter 52: Consequences ~

  
Saturday, 3rd November.

The Fire Master woke up from her self-induced sleep of about thirty-seven hours. It was cold and Fenix could not help trembling, although she was covered with a thick woolly blanket. Even through her closed eyelids, she was able to tell that it was midmorning and smelled stormy weather approaching the castle. The Hall was actually warm and there was only one cause that had made her feel the cold. The Fire Master was having a fever. _When was the last time that I had gotten sick? Thirteen months ago?_ This would be a very bad day for her and those who were caring for her, for ironically, she was not the best of patients. 

__

Bloody hell. I hate getting sick. The Fire Master sniffed and raised a hand to massage her aching temple that signified that she had overused her Gifts. _And I am so glad I didn't turn into a Phoenix during the last moment when those three Death Eaters had surprised me, or it would be more than just a headache. At least I'm awake now…_ _and I have heaps of questions to ask._ Her movement alerted Draco, who was recuperating from his high-fever beside her. Most of the students were helping the Headmaster clear out the rubble of the Ravenclaw Tower and some of the seniors were tasked in helping to scoop up the remains of the Death Eaters that had gotten the full effects of Draco's Fire. Somehow, the late autumn air still reeked of death and violence that had occurred almost three nights ago and certain students like Luna, were having to cope with the echoes of the battle. While most of them were doing physical work, Aberforth, Mineif, Cadriel, Aldren, and Hermione went up to the library to find the ancient manuscripts of enchantments. The Elven Lord believed that the magical protections about Hogwarts were similar to the ones the elves used to protect their Groves. If they were able to find the manuscripts holding the information, then they would be able to improvise and maybe create a back-up shielding system if Voldemort gets the idea to break into the School again.

The presence of the Slytherin beside her caused her to open her eyes and found Draco peering at her, his silver eyes bright with cheerfulness._ : How are you feeling? :_ he asked her, and she gave a faint crooked smile. 

__

: I feel sick… help me up… : Fenix pleaded and the boy hesitated. Snape had warned his godson to be strict and not allow her to move much. _Well, she's just asking me to help her sit up…_ He carefully placed his left arm around her shoulders and lifted her carefully. _: Where's my mate? And the rest? :_

__

: Dumbledore had given them tasks. It's just you, me, the wolves. And a couple of students who were on the night shift yesterday and are sleeping in. : Draco maneuvered so that she was leaning against him for support. She winced at the gentle discomfort of her wound and another kind of pain, trailing her fingers gently across the bandage that covered it. _: You are really having a high fever, : _he said in concern, looking down at her black hair. A strand of her long black hair covered her eyes and he pulled it back for her, remembering Snape's commands to minimize her movements. 

__

: I feel icky… I want to bathe… : Fenix complained, turning her head to look at him with doleful eyes. 

__

: Snape will kill me if I let you move an inch out of the bed, : Draco replied with a stern expression. He was saved from any more arguments from the Fire Master when his godfather came in with her fiancé. 

__

: Remus, I would really like to bathe! : Fenix's plea was desperate but the werewolf shook his head. _: Why? : _she wailed in distress. 

"It's too cold and it's quite a bit of a walk to the nearest bathroom, which is quite inaccessible for you since it's up on the second floor. I don't think it's good for your injury and…" Remus laid the flat of his palm on her neck and then her forehead. "And your fever." 

__

: I don't care, I feel… dirty, : she said stubbornly, feeling the cramp getting worse by the moment. 

__

: That stranger was right. You are _stubborn, : _Snape remarked. 

Fenix gave him a cross look and then stared impassively at Remus. _Idiotic wizards! _Wind, who was watching the whole scene in silence, interrupted before Fenix could speak._ : Dearheart, get a grip. Remus, why don't you oversee that she doesn't stress herself too much as she bathes? Or you can bathe her… :_ she commanded in a strict voice. 

"But--" Remus protested. 

__

: She has her reasons for wanting to bathe, : Wind replied evasively, then settled down to napping next to her mate. Fenix, feeling that Remus had absolutely no option but to do as Wind commanded, sighed with relief. That relief sparked into anger when the werewolf told her privately that he would not help her. Her eyes flashed for a moment with blue fire. 

__

: You idiot, insensitive, dense… : she swore, trying to control the pain in her stomach and anger at the same time. She broke off then turned to Draco._ : Draco, why don't you go to that corner for a while? I want to show this idiotic, boyfriend of mine something. You too, Sev. :_ After a moment of scrutinizing her and realized that she was serious in her command, Draco moved off but the Potions Master refused to budge from his seat. _: You better go, Sev. I don't want to scandalize you. : _He ignored her. 

Fenix took a deep breath and slowly withdrew her blanket. Snape blanched and blushed furiously in embarrassment and quickly got up to search for towels, cursing himself silently for not listening to her. Remus however, stared down at the makeshift bed in shock. He could see that a part of the bed was soaked with blood. Fenix looked at him mercilessly. _: What the hell do you think I am? A robot or something? Dear, if you must know I am a female and there are days when I have to absolutely be a female. Get it? Damnation, don't you guys ever study the reproductive system in school? No? Then I think Dumbledore ought to insert sexual education as part of the curriculum! :_ she lashed out angrily and gave Snape an unfriendly stare when he came back with towels in hand. 

Remus silently helped Fenix up to her feet while she effectively covered the bloodstain with the blanket. She wrapped herself in a towel before allowing Remus to lift her in his arms and slowly moved off, with sheepish-looking Snape trailing behind. Before Draco could inspect the pallet that they had left in a hurry, the house-elves came and vanished with the pallet and then returned to make a new one. He shrugged then smiled when Bootes swooped over his head, crying out a raptorial greeting. The Owlery was partly destroyed but somehow, all the birds had flown out to safety, taking refuge in the Forest. Raising an arm, his eagle owl gracefully descended lightly on his arm and the Slytherin went back to sitting on his bed, scratching his owl's chin dreamily. 

**********

Fenix grimaced when a painful wave erupted in her abdomen and she sighed when it subsided. They met several elves along the way to the bathroom up on the second floor and bumped into Harry and Ron who clearly looked as if they had been on the run. Snape handed them the pile of towels he had filched since they were also on their way to find a bathroom and wash up, then turned back to join the group of elves, heading out toward the grounds. Harry took the lead cautiously and sighed when the group of four people came across a step that had vanished. They paused to look at it, and Harry exchanged a glance with the Defence professor. As if knowing that it would be extremely dangerous for Remus and the woman he was carrying in his arms, the invisible step solidified and remained that way until the group came back down again. 

When they reached the landing, they found that Winky was waiting for the Defence teachers by the entrance of the girl's bathroom and Remus went in while the house-elf held the door open for him and entered. Harry and Ron managed to get their shocked faces in control and went into the boy's bathroom, only to double up with laughter. 

"What do you reckon Lupin's doing with Fenix?" Ron was red-faced after laughing so hard. 

"I think we shouldn't think about it." Harry grinned, grabbing a towel from Ron and entered a cubicle to shower. 

**********

Remus had taken off his robes and shirt to prevent them from getting wet while bathing Fenix. He fished his wand out from his robe and pointed it on his trousers and muttered, _"Impervius."_ The bathroom was empty and the bathtub at one end of the room was ready for the Fire Master's use. Winky helped her get rid of her garments, then took a moment to remove the bandages and disappeared to wash the garments while Krill appeared with Fenix's clothes and her bag containing her sanitary napkins and another bag holding her toiletries. 

Aelwyn was carefully scooping up water with a bowl and poured it over the Fire Master's long black hair. Fenix sighed, because the Salamanders were heating up the bathtub to a temperature that was so soothing for her stomach cramps. _: I wonder why us women have to tolerate cramps every time we come to that time of the month. It's really irritating. :_

__

: It can't be as bad as turning into a werewolf, right? At least you only experience them once in a month, : he gently pointed out, fishing for her bottle of shampoo. When the Sylph had wetted her hair to a satisfying degree, he began working the shampoo into her hair. 

__

: Trust you to look at it that way… It feels great to be washed… : Fenix sighed. 

__

: Of course it does… but you're being selfish you know, : Remus answered, trying not to peek at her. She gave a silvery laugh as she felt his discomfort at the situation. Aelwyn then poured the hot water and helped her rinse her hair as Remus helped her wash her back. 

__

: I wonder what Dumbledore plans to do now… I'm referring to the classes that is… : She turned her head slightly to face him, and his lips curved into a smile. 

__

: Classes will resume once they get the protections in place and the rebuilding of the Ravenclaw section starts. I don't think it's necessary to cancel the classes though the trips out for the Care of Magical Creatures might be a little dangerous for the students. But other than that, classes will go on as normal, : he answered. Fenix's body temperature had decreased and he sighed with relief._ I wonder what the two kids would think of me bathing her… but then… who cares?_

  
**********

****

Back into the Hall… 

Most of the students had already washed up and were ready to eat their lunch when Remus came in with Fenix, cradled safely in his arms. Several giggles and catcalls erupted, especially from Draco and Harry's group of friends. Sirius, who was seated in between Aldren and his father, looked archly at his best friend. 

"Fenix! Did Lupin really give you a bath?" someone asked as Remus headed for her pallet and turning to look, it was Warrington who had asked. She made a face at him as Remus carefully knelt and slowly let her down to the pallet. Winky appeared then and asked Fenix what she would like to eat and she answered. "Hot porridge. And just water… nothing exotic today…" She sighed then leaned back against her partner's chest. 

"Do you want something for that headache?" Madam Pomfrey offered but Fenix declined, saying that it was mild enough for her to tolerate it. 

All the way through lunch, Harry and Ron were snickering at the couple. While Fenix winked mischievously at them, Snape had a queer expression on his face and she carefully reined her curiosity and ignored him. _For a man in his prime, Sev is conservative._ She chuckled to herself, and finally gave up on her half-eaten porridge. The bowl vanished with her glass and she gave a gentle nudge against her partner, signaling that she needed to lie down. She started calculating to herself when her reserves would be charged up to its maximum and gave a huge sigh of relief that it would take less than another three days for her to be up and functioning. _I wonder if it would make any difference if I had just used my Gift instead of using my sword,_ she mused as she stared up at the ceiling. Somehow responding to the stormy weather settling down over the castle, low dark clouds began to form magically and artificial lightning flickered through the clouds. _But then I couldn't, because my reserves were burnt._

While the rest were discussing on how they were to repair the castle walls, Fenix painstakingly began rebuilding her shields and found out the intensity of her headache was also decreasing. She had to be slow in her works for she did not want the elves to know that she was keen on re-shielding Hogwarts and maybe this time, the environs about it too. 

__

: Feeling better? : Her oathbrother's mindvoice penetrated her mind. 

__

: Okay, I guess. Are we going to sleep in the Hall from now on? : 

__

: Yes but only for a week or two… : he replied as he chewed on his chicken meat. 

__

: Sirius, whatever possessed you to think that Draco wanted Harry? : Fenix asked with a straight face, not bothering to look at her brother for she closed her eyes to rest. _: I mean… really bro… :_

__

: But Draco did admit that he wanted Harry! : 

__

: You're such a big idiot, bro. Harry's liking doesn't really tend towards that_ side. And you know that most of us do make hasty decisions now and then. :_

Sirius surrendered, not bothering to argue with her and returned back to the conversation between Snape and the Elven Lord. 

**********

****

Later during the day… 

Fenix stayed in her bed all day for the trip to the bathroom and her cramps had quite exhausted her. She was contented to do that as she began to build up her resources and slowly strengthened her shielding before slowly expanding it. The sudden appearance of her Salamander with her black box containing the dagger surprised her. 

__

: I assume that there is a reason that you have brought me this? : she asked her chief Elemental lazily. 

__

: Yes. And that reason will appear by itself in the next forty-eight hours or so… : He disappeared and left her to ponder about the reason. 

**********

****

At Voldemort's Stronghold… 

The Death Eaters that had followed Voldemort during the campaign in Hogwarts were all being treated by Narcissa and several others. Lucius's wife held a dazed expression on her face as she made her rounds, not quite believing that it had been her son and not the famous Potter who had caused the damage to the Dark Lord and his followers. Her husband remained silent during her constant nagging. Voldemort had avoided him ever since they Apparated back and Lucius could not quite hide the trepidation that was building inside him. Narcissa was changing his dressing again and carefully wiped her husband's arms and chest, and began reapplying a burn-healing paste. It was then when Macnair, sporting an almost mummified face, whispered to Lucius that their Master had summoned him. 

Lucius stared at his wife with his remaining eye, to quicken her task, then quickly covered his naked upper body with a cloak and strode quickly over to the room where Voldemort was sitting comfortably in his armchair, facing directly at the door. Lucius paused over and entered only when his Master gave a nod. Voldemort's wand gave a sudden flash and the door was quickly sealed. 

"Kneel before me, Lucius," Voldemort commanded softly, staring impassively at Lucius as he trailed his fingers across his wand. His servant did as he asked, bowing his head down and not looking up. "Draco has greatly insulted me, Lucius… Are you sure that you fathered him with Narcissa?" His voice was silky and dangerous and Lucius maintained his silence. "It could not be really… coincidence… that had made him so much like the one they call Fenix?" Still Lucius remained silent. "And the arrows… were they caused by the centaurs? I'm impressed that those slender arrows could penetrate the thick armor the giants were wearing. Such advanced weaponry…" He leaned forward and trailed his wand along his servant's face. "We will launch another attack to the School in a few days, before we turn our attention to something else. That should be enough for some of you to recuperate. Send agents out to keep an eye on their activities. I want to know where Crabbe and the rest are. I know they are still alive but I could not trace them." Like his servant, Voldemort had also suffered burns on his chest, neck and arms, but his face was unscathed. 

"Yes, Master," Lucius obeyed quickly, starting to rise. 

"Oh… no… not yet, my servant… I am feeling slightly vexed about that incident with your son." Voldemort's lips began to curve into a malicious grin; the hand holding his wand held Lucius down. His free hand quickly grabbed his servant's long pale hair and began pulling it painfully. Lucius's left eye began watering at the sudden movement, but his pain was not enough to satisfy the Dark Lord. _"Crucio!"_ Lucius's terrified and anguished screams resonated through the whole house. Some of the Death Eaters managed to hide their expressions of glee as their Master tortured his favorite servant. His wife fled away to the furthest wing of the house and remained there for the rest of the day. 

Still, his servant screamed in pain. Adding to the torturous curse, Voldemort was having a good time strangling Lucius. _"Master… please…"_ he croaked out, his world blackening in and out as he struggled to stay awake. Voldemort laughed at his servant's plea. His servant fainted and Voldemort let the unconscious man fall limp in his arms. 

"You are such a good servant to play around with, Lucius…" Voldemort whispered into his servant's ear. _"Finite. And sweet dreams…"_

**********

****

Monday, 5th November. 

Fenix had ignored the strict instructions coming from her friends and was already up and about, patrolling the school grounds with the wolves. Remus had given up on forcing her to stay in bed, and Aldren agreed that giving in was the best thing he could do. 

"A female she says…" Remus grumbled under his breath as he watched the Potions Master patrolling the grounds. A couple of the elves, looking strangely like Aurors joined them, as they began to separate themselves in scouting the Forbidden Forest. Sirius understood the feelings of his best friend well and threw an arm about his shoulders in comfort. "Why doesn't she act like one then?" 

"It's her sense of duty, Moony. Anyway, the workout will be good for her. At least she has something to occupy her mind now instead on focusing on her stomach cramps," Sirius said in a good-natured voice. His friend gave a sigh and they concentrated on building the Tower. 

**********

****

In the Restricted Section of the library… 

Madam Pince the librarian, had allowed Hermione, Harry and Ron into the Restricted section as Dumbledore had sent Hermione in search of more books on Runes. Harry felt it was a good time as any that he got both of his friends into a discussion about the words of Salazar Slytherin. 

As Hermione was feverishly scanning through the books, she listened to Harry's arguments then answered. "Yes… I agree. I thought that _he_ was the one that had kept the basilisk, not Vol--Voldemort. And that stuff about the true Heir of Slytherin being able to command the basilisk, is false? The Founder is really being cryptic. Anyway, what's left of the Chamber? Other than the basilisk, I mean…" She peered curiously at Harry, who gave a helpless shrug. 

"I don't know, Hermione." 

"I think you just have to wait until he makes himself available then…" Ron suggested and Hermione nodded her head in agreement. 

"I _hate _secrets…" Harry complained. 

**********

****

In the Great Hall… 

Draco was sitting at the center among the circle of elves. Fenix and Mineif had given them the task of rebuilding shields to protect Hogwarts from illegal Apparitions. The Slytherin was most suited to handle this job and the elves were contented to feed the boy with magical energy. While he was Seeing to his shields, he was also thinking about the bond he had with Harry. _What could I do that will make it remain that way? I sure do not want to act irrationally again… An oathbond?_ He broke away from his thoughts to concentrate on the merged workings of the elves on making Apparition or penetrable to the more lethal Dark Creatures impossible. 

Finally, they were finished, but as all the elves opened their eyes, they were baffled by the frowns on Draco and Aldren's face. _: Is she crazy? : _Draco asked Fenix's childhood friend flatly. 

__

: I wouldn't know, Draco. But it's just like her to disobey the rules set by my father. Anyway, she is not depleting her resources too much that it would be a hazard for her. : Aldren sighed, shaking his head a little and gave a faint smile. He then reassured his kind in their own tongue that it was nothing, just that Fenix had ignored the Elven Lord's warning about not using her Gifts to replenish the shield. The Elves began to disperse, leaving Draco with Aldren. 

The Slytherin got up, feeling satisfied with himself and went out, walking along the corridor until he came upon the side door that led him to the courtyard. He casually sat himself down on the grass and brooded. _Would an oathbond work between him and me, like the way it did with Sirius and Fenix? But is this what I want? Do I want to be stuck with him for the rest of my life?_

Aldren watched the brooding boy in silence and startled briefly when he saw the same stranger approached the boy. The stranger stopped when Draco jerked his head up in surprise. Aldren was able to tell that something passed between them as they looked at each other's eyes. The stranger gave a faint smile at Draco before he vanished, and a wisp of golden light followed his disappearance. 

Draco could not believe what had just happened to him. He gulped, feeling slightly awed by the visit. The stranger advised him to take the path that he felt would be good for him, and left it at that. _Then, I'll go for it and hopefully it would not bring me into a dead end. _He stood up, his eyes looking fierce and determined, and set out to find Harry. 

**********

Harry was walking aimlessly about the seventh floor and finally went to window that was situated along the corridor, not far away from the Room of Requirement. The sounds that were coming from all over the castle were strangely muted and he felt himself isolated from everyone else. He looked up at the gray sky and the chill in the air brought signs of winter. _I wonder if I should get Fenix a gift. _He stared blankly at the sky, emptying his thoughts and tried not to think about anything. Suddenly a small voice erupted in his mind. _"You owe a life debt to someone…" _Harry gave a sigh, as his conscience prickled. _If you had said life debts, it would be much more accurate, because Drake saved you more than once. I wonder where the coward that had served detention with me in the Forest went._ His breath fogged the window and he absently cleared it away by rubbing his sleeve against it._ "You are tied to him forever…"_ He scowled to himself. _Don't remind me. But I hope the tie between us is not as complicating as Fenix's bond with Snape…_ _"You could be brothers… you are much more alike to each other than you would care to admit…"_ Harry snorted to himself. _I wish, _he said sarcastically to himself and then shouted in frustration. "I must be going insane that I'm talking to myself!" He stormed off, with his face turning as black as the angry clouds looming over the castle and went to search for company. 

**********

****

In the Forest… 

Fenix tried not to gag as she approached the bodies of the Death Eaters that had been left to bleed their life away. The stench was appalling as the wind picked up. _: Fenix, do something about this… : _Cadriel urged her as the rest of the elves began climbing up the trees to escape from the odor. 

__

: I agree, : Snape said in agreement, one hand screening his nose as he looked around the site carefully. _: Do it before Voldemort comes in and tries to transform them into zombies... or something. :_ She sighed and in an instant the bodies were engulfed with blue flames and were reduced to a pile of ashes. They froze when they heard something moving in the foliage. 

__

: Snape, take my hand. : Cadriel reached a hand out and grasped the hand that the Potions Master raised, and pulled him up effortlessly to the tree's branch. Fenix had no such requirement for aid as she scrambled up a great oak tree, relying heavily on her dark suit for camouflage. The elves quickly readied their bows and aimed at where the noises had emerged. 

"Something must have gone wrong, Henry." The scouts heard the whisper and held their silence. Soon enough, a Death Eater emerged from the dense foliage. Thorns had scratched his face and he looked at his two other cohorts, while taking out a handkerchief to wipe his face carefully. 

"Yes. Why can't we Disapparate? We have to go back and report that Dumbledore seemed calm about the entire situation. The walls of the castle that the giants had partly destroyed were already going under repair." 

__

: It seems like your godson had achieved in creating a very good shield, : Fenix said lightly. Snape did not bother to answer her with words but sent her his feelings of relief and pride._ : So are we taking them hostage or are we exterminating them? :_

__

: I don't know. Why don't you see if you could send a message back to the castle? : 

Fenix nodded to herself, and not taking her eyes off the three troublemakers, she established a connection with Sirius._ : Hey, bro. Is Dumbledore there with you? : _Her oathbrother sent a negative and she relayed the question. They had to wait for several minutes before Sirius answered her. Dumbledore wanted them assassinated. _: That's really strange, :_ she commented. 

__

: Not at all. Intelligence report just came in; Voldemort is planning to launch another attack on the School, in a matter of days, : Sirius replied and she repeated the answer to Snape. 

__

: You have got to be serious, : the Potions Master said incredulously. _: All right. Kill them quick and easy. :_ Cadriel, Fenix and two other elves slid down their branches soundlessly and ambushed their prey so fast that all Voldemort could feel was that his followers had been killed in two seconds and was unable to get more information out of their deaths. He felt a brief moment of surprise but no pain, and no fear. 

**********

****

Back at the Hall. 

Most of his friends were absent from the Hall. He stopped by Neville, who was sleeping soundly before he went over to a brooding Slytherin. The moment he sat down, Draco popped a silent question._ : Do you want to be my brother? : _Harry's green eyes flared in surprise at the suddenness of the request._ : Anyway, :_ Draco got up and went out of the Hall, _: consider it. : _

Harry felt the Slytherin withdrew the mind-link and Harry's head pounded with confusion. _Not him, too? Dragon's teeth, why must things get so complicated now?_

__

"It is an option, though," the small voice in his head spoke up. Harry took a deep breath and pondered on the request, thinking of something that would make him say 'no' to the request. _There isn't anything else except we used to be enemies. "But even brothers would sometimes hate each other… think about Percy and Ron…"_ the voice pointed out dryly. _Let's not be too hasty._ Harry compromised and the voice in his head remained mute. 

**********

****

Later that night. Ten thirty-seven in the evening. 

Fenix was standing out at the courtyard, ignoring the flashes of lightning as she just stood under the sky, taking deep breaths of air. Her blouse and skirt were blowing in several different directions and she looked as though she was being attacked by Lethifolds. Draco paused at the side door. Most of the students were already asleep, except for Harry, Sirius, Snape and the Defence teacher. They were engrossed in watching Snape playing wizards chess with the werewolf and they were unaware that Draco had gone off by himself. 

He crossed the grounds silently, feeling the damp and cold wind penetrate his sweater._ : Joining me? :_ Fenix's mindvoice whispered softly and he smiled. 

__

: I thought you loved the sun more than anything else, : he asked her curiously, smelling the scent of rain. 

Fenix chuckled lightly. _: I do love the sun… but I love the sky too… the Sun would not be complete if it were just on its own. Even up there, planets and giant stars and galaxies surround the Sun. :_

__

: Your thoughts are deep… : Draco complimented and she winked at him. 

__

: I'm born in the melancholiest month of the year… according to the Gregorian calendar, : she pointed out, then mercurially changed the subject._ : So what's brought you out here to join me in gloomy weather? :_

Draco peered at the night sky, lightning dancing its lengths every ten seconds. _: I won't say gloomy, excited is much better. Anyway, the reason why I came out here is that I wish to ask you how the oathbond works. :_

__

: In a myriad of ways. The strength of the bond between two people will change according to their intents when they take the oath. For example Sirius and me we wanted to be like twins. : She looked up at the boy._ : There are certain advantages to having a bond. Like knowing the mood of the other one and knowing that you will never be short of a confidant. Disadvantages, well it depends on how you look at it, you could not be separated for long. Also, if one were to die because of some reasons, the other one left alive might turn suicidal. Oathbonds are meant to last a lifetime, even some won't be broken when they move on to the Otherworld. Oathbonds are not meant to be taken lightly, this is serious stuff, for you will become partners and equals. :_ Fenix smiled at his disappointed expression. _: I sound as if I'm describing lovers, don't I? Actually, I'm describing a kind of kinship, unless if you intend to be lovers, of course. :_

The boy was silent and Fenix tilted her face up to the sky. _Something incredibly fishy is going on right beside me. First Harry and now him. I understand why Krill had placed the Dagger within reach now but I hope both of them had thought about this enough that they would not regret their bond later in life. Assuming that they want to share a bond with each other of course._

__

: Don't worry. : Krill's voice echoed in her mind._ : They know why they should do it. Draco at least knows why he wanted the bond, but it will take sometime for Harry to realize why a part of him wants the oathbond badly. :_

__

: Would you care to enlighten me? About Draco knowing why he should take the oathbond, : she inquired the Elemental curiously. 

__

: He had a visit from Him-- you know whom I am referring to. Draco has seen something about the future, that Harry would need his talents and it would work well than if Harry had called for the help of nothing more than a friend. Compared to Hermione, Draco's rather fickle in his decisions. Their lives are going to intertwine in more ways than one. That's why Harry visited you just now. It was because Draco requested him, : her Elemental responded. 

__

: He took the first step of asking him? Unbelievable! : She tried to keep her expression calm. 

__

: You were the one who wanted to change him… : Krill said indifferently. 

__

: So it all lies with the intent of the caster and the receiver, : the Slytherin concluded absently, catching her attention and she nodded. _: Next question then. :_ His mindvoice was resolved._ : How do you initiate the oathbinding ceremony? : _

As if right on cue, Krill appeared with the black box that held her Dagger. Draco suddenly frowned at the sky. "What happened to the storm?" he asked curiously, missing the moment where the Salamander appeared with the box in tow. A half-moon peeked out from the dark clouds. 

"Tonight's a good night, if you want to know. Even the weather's cooperating," Fenix said lightly as she opened the box and retrieved the Dagger of seven inches. "It's relatively simple. But I have to warn you something; not all oaths… let me rephrase that. Not all initiations are successful. It is up to Him to acknowledge the bond. But if He answers, be prepared to handle all the consequences all right. Once blood is shared, it will be shared forever," she said in a warning voice. She handed him the slim weapon. "Tilt the blade against the moonlight. All the two of you have to do is to memorize what is written on the blade and slash your right palms diagonally. Not the left one-- brings bad luck. Then you clasp your palms together and let your blood mingle, then chant the incantation. I know the part about the blood mingling is a little unhygienic but both you and Harry are free of any kind of diseases. Well, I'm going in." She handed the black box and swiftly turned and entered the castle. 

Draco stared at the blade intently; the words written seemed to jump out of the silver blade. _Do I really want to do this? Fenix said it's a good night but would Harry answer me now? _The Slytherin stood alone under the dark sky for a few moments. 

**********

Harry noticed that Fenix had just came in and she casually implanted herself on Remus's lap._ Wait a minute… where's Draco?_ He narrowed his eyes speculatively and jumped slightly when the Slytherin's mindvoice penetrated his mind. 

__

: Have you decided? : 

Harry evaded the question and asked, _: Where are you? : _And he stood up, ignoring his godfather's surprised look. 

__

: Meet me in the courtyard, : was all he said and left Harry no choice but to go to him. He carefully steered among the numerous sleeping bags all about the Hall and walked down into the corridor and finally stepped out into the courtyard. Draco was holding something in his hand and he approached the Slytherin cautiously. _: What is your answer, Green-Eyes? :_

__

: Drake, you call me that again and I'll call you Silver-Eyes for the rest of your life. : Harry threatened. 

__

: It is a deal… Green-Eyes. So what is your answer? : 

__

: I don't see anything wrong with it, except that the family life I will share with you will not be exactly comfortable, : Harry answered truthfully then looked up at the half-moon, peering straight down at him. 

__

: Are you prepared to take the oathbond with me? : Draco cocked his head to one side. _: And prepared to shoulder the consequences that would come after? :_ Harry nodded, staring at the dagger the Slytherin was holding. 

__

: Fenix lent that to you? : he hazarded and the Slytherin confirmed by nodding slightly. _: She gave you the instructions of how it would work? : _Another nod from Draco._ : Have you asked Snape for permission? :_

__

: What I'm going to do does not concern him, : Draco replied stubbornly. 

**********

"Are you sure this would work between them, Fenix?" Four of them crowded at the side door, watching the two students intently. 

"It's up to them if they want the bond to work, Sev…" she answered with a smile. 

**********

The two had already slashed their right palms and Harry winced because he had cut across his palm a little too deeply. They began to chant the incantation as they clasped both their palms together. There was a strange tingle going through their palms but Harry ignored it, thinking it was his wound just itching. But just as both of them recited the last phrase, a strange green glow emerged from their clasped hands and then exploded to engulf them. 

Fenix suppressed her exclamation of surprise because that had not happened between Sirius and her. "So…their oaths had been accepted," Snape spoke up in a hushed voice. 

"Let's leave those two alone. Their cuts would be fully healed right?" Remus whispered and Fenix nodded and they went back to the Hall to rest. 

**********

Harry looked down at their hands in wonder. The light had died and so did the itching. They finally unclasped their hands and Harry looked down at his right palm. A silver scar of Six-pointed star was etched deeply into his palm, and so was Draco's. They then stared at each other, not believing that the initiation was a success. The blade was already in the box and it disappeared as Krill took it. 

"So, we are finally kin now," Draco said softly. 

"I guess there's no turning back then." Harry shrugged and grinned widely. _: Let's see how we try to maintain the peace between ourselves. :_

__

: Starting from now then. : The Slytherin returned his grin and shook the right hand that Harry had offered. 

********** 


	53. Secrets Revealed

****

~ Chapter 53: Secrets Revealed ~

  
Tuesday night. In the courtyard.  


Snape, Sirius, Remus and Fenix had gathered in the courtyard by a request from Aldren. The wind was howling loudly around them and they had to wonder why the elf had told them to assemble at such a place, given that there were much comfortable and warmer rooms available inside the castle. The Fire Master was happy however. She always felt at home under the sky, no matter how unfriendly the conditions or the environments were. She had more than once thought that even if she was stranded in the deep ocean alone-- she had a slight phobia on that-- she would feel happy that she was under the protection of the sky. Earlier that evening, Fenix had noticed that they had not been paying attention to the Death Eaters that had been locked up in the complex shields of Fenix and Harry's.

"Has anyone seen to their needs?" She pitched her voice loudly so that she can be heard clearly in the Hall. The students exchanged glances with each other because they had completely forgotten about them. The Headmaster looked sheepishly at her when she started to frown and a small groan came out of McGonagall's mouth.

"Well… I certainly do not wish to be accused of murdering them… by neglect…" Fenix stood up and shot a disappointed look at the Headmaster.

Dean, Draco, Harry, Hermione, Montague, Ron, Seamus, Susan, Warrington and got up from where they had been seating and Fenix's company followed suit. The Fire Master preceded them to the antechamber and had already cast another bigger shield about the spherical shield containing the infiltrates. Much to her relief-- Susan seemed disappointed that they had not been starved to death-- the infiltrates were in good health as they had been fed with food and water provided by either the house-elves or Fenix's Elementals. Apparently, the infiltrates were weakened by something and she raised her right eyebrow when Krill reported they had tried to subdue a house-elf, and they did not receive the answer they wanted to receive. Hermione noted with an amused smile that their robes had ended up in tatters. Everything seemed to be in order and Fenix cast the original spherical shield back on.

Aldren was sitting on a pavement, watching them calmly with his peculiar violet eyes. _: We would be communicating this way, : _the elf spoke up as they settled themselves on the pavement.

__

: But why here? : Fenix asked curiously. The elf just shrugged, not bothering to answer her inquiry.

__

: So what is it that you wish to talk about? : Snape asked, carefully gathering his robe before sitting down beside Fenix, who was sitting on Remus's lap. Harry's godfather opted to lean against a pillar, watching the company from a higher standpoint.

__

: There is something I would like to ask you_… : _The violet-eyed elf was staring intensely at the werewolf. Fenix could tell by the slight tension of Remus's arms that he was uncomfortable by the elf's close scrutiny.

__

: What? : Remus question, his mindvoice sounding as bland as possible.

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: What did you give Harry for his birthday? : the elf asked, still staring unwaveringly at the werewolf. All eyes now were on Remus, with Fenix squirming on his lap to look up and giving him a quizzical look, her eyes full of curiosity.

__

: I gave him two things actually. One was a magical quill, and the other was what the founder of Slytherin had given it to me on the night I was left to pack off my trunk after I had taught Defence during Harry's third year. : He quickly raised a hand to stave off the questions that seemed to bubble inside everyone, Sirius especially. _: He told me to present it to Harry once Voldemort had made himself known to the community. So I had to wait until Harry's birthday this year. It seemed like the best time for me to give him the gift. :_ He shrugged, not really seeing where the conversation was going.

__

: What else did he tell you to do? And what is the gift? : Sirius pestered his best friend.

__

: I think it was a light green crystal, about this big-- : He made a shape with both of his palms, then continued. _: But it held one feather of some kind that I was not able to identify. Not owls… nor was it from a phoenix… Fawkes's kind that is… :_ he said hastily when Fenix gave him a sidelong look and gave a crooked grin at his swift explanation._ : The only clue he gave me was that he said Harry would find out the crystal's uses when the time is ripe. So I have absolutely no clue when it would be. :_

: That means the founder absolutely has to approach him then… otherwise I don't think that Harry would take the crystal out anytime soon, : Fenix observed and the Potions Master agreed at her observation.

__

: Then tell Harry to take the crystal out of wherever he had kept it… hopefully he had brought it with him… and to carry it at all times, : Aldren suggested, but Sirius did not seem to be too happy with the news. The elf looked at him, his eyes showing that he was baffled.

__

: First of all, can we trust the founder? He's just a ghost, isn't he? I thought he was the one who had reared the forbidden drake… : Sirius's mindvoice was filled with doubt, and they sympathized with his concerns.

__

: Do you trust me, bro? : the Fire Master suddenly asked, and Sirius nodded immediately._ : Then take my word that Salazar Slytherin means no harm to your godson. The founder is just ensuring that Time would take on the path that it is supposed to take in the future. :_

Four of the males stared at the small woman sitting comfortably on her partner's lap, seemingly unconcerned about the business with the founder. Her oathbrother took a deep breath then questioned her in a mindvoice so sober that was so intense that she had to wince. _: Why are you so sure about that? :_

: Let's just say that the real facts about the Slytherin founder, 'The Greatest of Hogwarts Four', : she made a face at that particular phrase,_ :-- are actually not so accurate. He did believe in the nonsense about pureblooded students and all, but was not as fanatically desiring to really perpetuate general murder on the Muggle-born students, : _she answered with a small, sad smile. That seemed to multiply their questions and they bombarded her spontaneously.

She gave each of them a sour look._ : Why in hell are you asking me those questions? :_ She frowned at them. _: That's his personal business! You can't really expect me to eavesdrop when he had that fight with the founder of Gryffindor? Who was-- or maybe is-- his best friend? :_ she asked, her mindvoice portraying her disdain at her companions. Somewhat to her surprise, Snape was looking at her with a horrified expression.

"What?" she asked, sounding very annoyed.

"Do you mean you were there?" His voice was hushed and was almost drowned by the strong wind.

"None of your business," she snapped out and they fell silent in the courtyard, with only the wind filling up the tranquillity.

**********

****

Thursday, 8th November. Nearing the completion of repair works.

"Montague!" Warrington managed to hold off a slab of brick from hitting an unprotected Quidditch captain. "Put a goddamn visible shield!" he yelled out in anger. "You're giving me a heart attack every time that happens!"

"All right!" Montague took a moment to cast a shield about himself, one that was reflecting his dark mood. It was understandable for he had not volunteered to rebuild the wing that had been destroyed by the giants. The School was practically racing against time to get the castle back to its original form. Aberforth and the house-elves were smiling with satisfaction as the castle regained its magical strength and whenever a student took a time to rest and stare blankly at the exterior of the castle, they could not help but feel awed by the aura of determination that the castle was emitting._"Nagger…"_ Montague muttered under his breath and carefully levitated a huge square brick to where the house-elves indicated.

"What did you say?" Warrington turned his head slightly to look at his friend.

"Nothing!" Montague shouted, his brows creasing as he struggled to remain his control on levitating the heavy stone.

"Let go!" a hovering house-elf shouted to the boy and Montague released his will.

That was what the Headmaster had instructed the students and so half of them were helping in rebuilding the last bit of the castle, while the other half were practicing the Unbreakable Charm under Flitwick and McGonagall's supervision. A selected number of students, along with Charlie and Kingsley, were going around testing the supposedly 'unbreakable' objects with various spellworks. It was near to lunchtime when McGonagall called for a halt and the students collapsed to get their breaths back. All too soon, she called them up again and this time she conjured up a huge hourglass and placed it at the direct center of the Hall.

"Now, you will practice your charm on this fragile glass. I would be dividing you to groups of seven for if the hourglass takes much more than it could, it could possibly explode, so keep your shields up," Professor Flitwick piped up, looking sternly at the students. They sighed and the Head of Ravenclaw House began dividing the students up, with Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, a Hufflepuff by the name of Juliana Kleutz, Jude Howell and surprisingly, Ron's older brother Charlie. It took a bit of time before they were all grouped and McGonagall began to call a name randomly for the group to practice with the huge hourglass.

**********

****

Inside the Forbidden Forest…

Fenix, Remus, Sirius, Snape and his godson were going in into the Forest with seven of the elves to scout. The Potions Master had objected at the idea of bringing Draco along but Fenix shook her head stubbornly, so he kept a tight rein on his temper and crept right along with the rest of the group, trying to figure out what she was up to.

They had spent most of their night yesterday studying Hagrid's map of Hogwarts and they had concurred in agreement that all steps should be taken into consideration if they should come across the centaurs.

"They are gettin' less friendly each day," Hagrid told them with a slight frown. "I don't think bringin' the boy is a good idea."

According to their plan, they would divide themselves into four groups and try to cover as much ground as possible. Their main objectives were to get a feeling of the Forest, to find out the likeliest places where the giants could easily penetrate into the Forest and then set traps, specifically for the giants. Fenix, Snape and Draco had Jumped several acres into the areas where the giants had crossed over to get to the castle. The trail was not exactly hard to spot for fallen trees were everywhere and she winced at the total destruction of the landscape. Fenix's group was at their last checkpoint. A slight rumble from somewhere ahead of the group caused all of them to flatten themselves against the trees still available and tried to make themselves invisible.

__

: It's all right, : Snape spoke up._ : It's just a Ford Anglia. :_

: And why on earth was a car running about the Forest? :

: Ask Ron. Anyway, the car won't be causing us problems although it has gone feral, : Draco said indifferently. She motioned her two companions to remain silent and she stared at the flash of cyan among the gaps of trees and focused her attention at casting trip lines and bindings all over the area. She then gave a nod to Snape and Draco to cast the Specific Charm about the area. There was a slight tingle in the air and Remus's company appeared beside her.

__

: How is it going? : Cadriel asked, and the three gave the thumbs-up sign just as Sirius's and Cyfel's group appeared.

Although the twelve people had covered the Forest with ease, the Forest was still the territory of the centaurs and other creatures. The elves might be silent but the centaurs too were masters at sneaking and their ease at surrounding the humans and the elves proved that. The sudden air that had seemed peaceful a moment ago became an eerie silence.

The scouts knew that something was wrong, and Fenix and the elves circled the humans protectively, and just in time as a circle of arrows descended on them in all directions. A protective ring of Fire eliminated the arrows and the centaurs closed in on them. The forms of Fenix and Draco were pulsating with their own Fire, acting almost like a Defensive Charge. The elves did not draw out their weapons and watched the centaurs coolly.

"Who are you?" Bane still had an arrow sighted on his longbow. He was directing the question at Fenix.

"What does the truth matter to you?" Fenix replied as icily as she was feeling somewhat irritated. "Trivialities are none of your concern to your kind, isn't that right?"

"I see that the shunned one had been talking to you," Magorian spoke up, his voice cold. Fenix gave a chilling smile and the blue fire in her eyes flickered steadily.

"There is no need for me to hear Firenze's words. I've been around_ long enough_ to know about your kind," the Fire Master answered, stressing her words in sarcasm.

"What impudence!" Bane hissed. "And you have brought the Unclean with you…" his eyes swept over to the elves, to their catlike eyes and sharp, pointed ears.

"Wrong term. We are the Daonhe Sidhe," Cadriel, the Warrior and Elven mage corrected calmly, and smiled with satisfaction as the centaurs' expression changed from unfriendly to disbelief. "I see you recognized the term. We are not as _gone_ as you might think," he answered the centaurs' unspoken question.

"You smell strange to me, woman," Magorian addressed her, still armed with his bow, setting aside at the knowledge that their betters were still alive and thriving. "So you are not human after all." Remus's eyes narrowed dangerously at the subtle insult.

"The ones who only care about the future and trundles along toward it, are too small-minded to understand what I am," the Fire Master said almost in arrogance. "What? Can't your gifts tell you what I am?" She was quaking with disappointment inside. The millennia of separation between the two species that she had interacted frequently in her lives had drastically changed their thinking. While the Elves then were proud of their longevity, and the centaurs were shunned for they were magically bred by them, the Elves had shed their moments of arrogance and paid careful attention to the worlds they lived in, thus eventually making space for the centaurs to live as their own. The centaurs now seemed to bask in their superiority at having seen the Future opened up before them and in their arrogance, the knowledge of the Past was forgotten.

__

: Fenix, : Snape's mindvoice was filled with disapproval, thinking that she was being tactless.

The centaurs were enraged and loosed their arrows again. Wings flared out as the Fire Master changed into the Phoenix. The arrows disappeared in the maelstrom of Fire. Gasps of shock and disbelief came out from the band of centaurs. "It could not be," Bane whispered, his eyes taking on the brilliance of her Flames.

__

"Our fight is not with you. Stay out of sight from the giants and Voldemort's followers. And keep away from the trappings." The silver blue eyes stared at the leader. The centaurs silently edged away from the protective Phoenix to join their bandleader. The Phoenix closed her eyes and the centaurs disappeared into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

All the time during the verbal exchange, the Slytherin had been watching her carefully. Fenix was angry but did not let her Fire go out of control the way he did. Draco noticed one flaw he had. If Voldemort had been cleverer that fateful night, he and his followers could have avoided his burst of Fire completely, since his Fire was visible to the naked eye. There was nothing that could be taken for a signal when Fenix emerged in her brilliant form. Something stirred inside him as he watched Fenix taking a fraction of time to mold herself. _That's it! She simply imagined the form in her mind and her Fire simply took on its shape, and since it was the best of forms to choose, the Fire acts on its own by default. _Draco stared at her wings protecting them. It had no feather-like structures; they were mainly made of fire. _So why does it not burn me?_ He trailed his fingers across the flames.

Her aura was not quite gone as they Jumped back to an area that was within sight of the castle. The company was silent as they walked slowly from the Forest. Snape kept giving her covert glances; his eyes were full of awe, while Remus held her hand, giving a smile full of wonder and warmth every single time she looked back at his face. Only Sirius and the elves acted as if nothing interesting had happened out there. Draco however, wore a contemplative look as they walked back. When he finally turned around to look at her, she gave him a slow wink.

__

: I knew you were going to teach me that! : Draco triumphed and Snape winced a little at his godson's exuberance. A lot of things fell together and resounded with an audible click as Draco knew how to keep his Fire in control, how to make it look like that his Fire was flickering at a constant state and how to transform himself. He knew that all the skills and weaknesses he needed to know about his form would come on the instant when he took his form. _I wonder when she'll allow me to experiment!_ The Slytherin was feeling so excited and temporarily forgotten that his stomach was complaining that Fenix had a hard time to control the happiness bubbling out of her.

**********

****

Back to the group practicing their Charms…

The process of testing each group on the hourglass was slow going and by the time the instructors were satisfied with their progress, it was already one in the afternoon and Ron's stomach made a really loud protest. The hourglass disappeared and the students breathed a giant sigh of relief.

McGonagall cleared her throat to regain the hungry students' attention. "After lunch, with the same groups, I will send you to different locations of the castle. Since you won't be able to cast a spell outside the lower western part of the castle-- unless there is an unregistered Animagus here that could turn him or herself into a fish-- you will do it by entering the Chamber of Secrets…" Several gasps can be heard. Harry narrowed his eyes in speculation when the Transfiguration teacher gave him a direct glance, then he suppressed a gasp when he felt euphoria from Draco traveling through their oathbond.

Hermione gave her friend an interested look but he shook his head slightly. There were several loud groans coming from the Entrance Hall, and the students who had undergone free labor for most of the morning trudged into the Great Hall tiredly. Warrington sprawled over on the floor where the Slytherins usually gathered and was soon joined by Montague and several others. "You would have thought the clouds would at least screen the sun!"

"If you ask me, I would tell you that today is a weird autumn morning," Lee yelled out in agreement, as he fanned his face.

"Lunch would be served shortly, so be good girls and boys and wash your hands," a voice belonging to a Sylph rang out in the Hall clearly. Some of the students looked indignantly around them for the source of the patronizing voice.

By now, the students were all sprawled carelessly around the big Hall when the scouts came back from their brief mission. Fenix blinked her eyes in surprise, seeing the exhausted faces of the students. "What in the name of Taliesin happened to you?"

"We can assure you it was nothing exciting…" Montague groaned.

**********

They were all resting after lunch and Harry's group waited impatiently for McGonagall to reach their group and assign them to a place, although Hermione told Harry confidently that they would be sent down to the Chamber. A brief flicker caught her attention and she quickly grabbed Harry's right hand just as Alamanda was doing to Draco's. The girl did so when she felt a strange contour as she lazily caressed his palm.

__

"What is this?" both girls exclaimed at once but emerging from two different places. Harry just gave a shrug while Draco smiled mysteriously.

"What have you got there, Manda?" Hermione asked the Slytherin girl, suddenly feeling suspicious. _It couldn't be as crazy as what I'm thinking right? Harry couldn't have sworn a blood oath with Draco! Right? _The sudden smiles that were on Sirius, Snape and Harry's face made her turn doubtful.

"It's a star!"

"Harry!" Hermione looked at her friend in shock. Ron was frowning at his girlfriend because he had no idea what the sudden excitement was about. His frown deepened when he saw a six-pointed star etched on his best friend's palm. _That looks familiar, like Sirius's…_ He quickly jerked his head around to the Slytherins then felt his eyes widened and his mouth dropped in shock.

"You must have gone bloody mental, Harry!" His voice was horrified.

Hermione could not seem to contain her shock. Harry's star was unlike Fenix's and Sirius's. Their star was an upright five-pointed one, to display that they were the users of White Magic. But what was on the palms of Harry and Draco was an identical 'Mogen David'. Hermione found the star apt for her friends for they were both Magi. There was a deeper meaning to those stars than anyone else could guess, however. All Hermione could tell her friends-- including the bearers--was that now Harry's life was intertwined with Draco's to bring a more meaningful future to the wizarding world. Both of them would tread on the same sacred path toward their destiny and they would not be doing it alone.

Harry looked at his oathbrother and cocked his head to a side as Draco commented that Hermione's theory of the star was quite accurate. _: How is that I'm having the feeling that you are still hiding something from me? :_ Harry's suspicions carried over to the Slytherin.

__

: Why would I do that? : his oathbrother asked innocently.

__

: Probably for the fun of seeing me suffer, : Harry muttered his answer.

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: If you already know the answer then why are you wasting your energy asking me? : Draco said loftily, and Harry could not resist taking a leaf out of Fenix's book by sending a sharp burst of energy down the mind-link. That ended up with Draco wincing from the mindslap. The rest of them, including McGonagall, had to come to terms that the two former enemies had suddenly become brothers. Draco's gang was staring stupidly at their leader while Alamanda was happily kissing him on his cheek.

McGonagall finally came up to Hermione and informed the young girl that her team would be going down to the Chamber. "You are lucky that, that part of the castle is the easiest to charm." McGonagall however did not explain why and left Hermione's group abruptly, leaving the group to stare at the Transfigurations teacher in puzzlement.

**********


	54. Salazar

~ Chapter 54: Salazar ~

In Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom…

The group of seven people were waiting for Harry to successfully communicate with the sink using the Parseltongue language. To their relief, the ghost of the girl that had been killed by the basilisk fifty years ago was not around as they stood in the middle of the bathroom. After a couple of false tries, Harry finally succeeded in opening the sink again using his gift of reptilian speech. Their group looked down at the gaping hole and Ginny sighed. "I never thought that I would step foot in there again. No help for it I guess." She started to place her legs into the pipe when Charlie shook his head, clearly intent to go down first. She complied and while the rest were waiting for a signal that all was clear from the dragon rider, Harry wondered just how on earth they would get back up.

"We're around you know," Aelwyn spoke up, making those who had not expected company, jump in surprise.

"Thanks," he answered gratefully and a spark of green light burst out of the pipe. "Let's go!" He grinned to his group members.

They slid through the pipe and got to the damp pavement without any problems at all, but Ron and Ginny were staring at the ceiling critically. Charlie gave a lopsided grin and flicked his wand and pointed it to the seemingly ruined ceiling.

"So where do you reckon we should cast the spell _en bloc_?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione and then at Harry.

"The most logical would be in the Chamber," Hermione replied and they waited for Harry to take the lead. The place smelled damp and was lighted dimly with the light that seemed to come from the walls.

Halfway through their journey to get to the Chamber, something blocked their way and Harry felt the blood drain from his face. "Fenix?" Ginny asked incredulously, not knowing why the Fire Master was down at this level. The Fire Master stood motionless and both he and Hermione lighted up their wands. The students looked at her with shock. Her eyes were cold and her face was melancholy.

__

_ "Why did you let him die?" _she rasped. _"Why did you let us all die?" _She began laughing bitterly. Harry took a deep breath and spoke out aloud.

"Stop playing games with me, Voldemort," he said firmly. The person they thought that was Fenix hissed in anger. "You should try and say something more different. Or maybe do a little bit of research. The Fire Master isn't the type who dwells on things that are no longer present nor is she one who gives a bean about Death."

"I don't think it is a good idea to tell Fenix that someone had been trying to impersonate her," Charlie said, looking at the phantom with a bored expression.

"I'm not too sure about that but let's keep it as a secret first," Ginny agreed. "She might see it as a personal insult."

"What should we do about _that_?" Jude pointed at the phantom with his wand. The 'thing' that was controlled by Voldemort was muttering under its breath, something about Fenix obtaining a mortal wound but yet survived.

"We'll take care of it." Krill's deep voice echoed menacingly around them. In a matter of seconds, there was a loud bang and Fenix's mindvoice yelled into Harry's mind.

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_ : Are you all right? You are? Then, what was that? :_ The Fire Master sounded very relieved.

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_ : It's just a Boggart, Fenix. That was Hermione's stallion doing the sound effects, : _Harry lied quickly.

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_ : Don't give me a heart attack, Harry, : _Sirius's mindvoice joined in. _: I'm not getting younger by the second. :_ Harry gave a sigh of relief when they withdrew their presence. He narrowed his eyes at the spot where the phantom had been.

"Krill, next time do give us a little bit of warning," he muttered. "I don't want any white hairs to sprout over my jet-black ones."

"I had no bloody idea that he was vain," Ron kept a straight face as he said it. Conversation died as they walked onwards and finally came to the doors that sealed the Chamber. Harry made a hissing noise and the doors parted to reveal the Chamber. All of them were expecting a horrible stench to hit them and held their breaths but nothing of the sort happened. The Chamber still had that eerie greenish glow and Harry motioned everyone in. There was no sign of a dead basilisk anywhere in the chamber. Hermione went straight to the stone face of the founder of Slytherin then gave a shriek when two knights popped out of the figurine, clearly engaged in a sword fight and remained hovering five feet from the ground.

She jumped out of the way and watched the founders of Slytherin and Gryffindor in an almost hysterical amusement. Ron's mirth however seemed to have gotten out of control and his laughter was loud enough to inform the two knights that they were not alone for the moment. The others were finding it hard to keep their faces straight as they stared at the ridiculous sculpture, and suddenly remembered his face when he had taken off his helm after the Sorting Ceremony. They began trying to mentally compare the two different images. Now that he had the time to think about it, Harry rather found the image on the stone was rather ridiculous.

"I wonder which of his face is real." Ron chortled and the eyes behind Salazar's visor twinkled mischievously.

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_ "I'm sure if you ask him," _Salazar jerked his mailed fist over at his sparring partner, _"he would say that I resemble an ape more than a superior wizard or a humanoid. So if you want to know which is the real me, I suggest you pester the Fire Master. She would either answer in two ways, either she tells the truth or she would just tell you to go to the dogs." _He winked at Ron.

"We can chat later," Hermione said and went back to stand before the mask. "I think this is a good place to cast the charm."

__

_ "Good hunch, little one,"_ Godric complimented and she thanked him with her winsome smile. They agreed and began to spread out in a semicircle, with Hermione as their center. The two founders watched the students-- plus one ex-student-- with pride as their Unbreakable Charms began to spread in all direction, to join the ones the students had cast above their floor to form a latticework of spells. Hopefully, Voldemort would not have the time to find out about the weakness of the charm.

"Good job, everyone! Ten points each for all of you!" Charlie said brightly and Ron gave him a quick punch at his shoulder.

"As if you have the authority to give us points!" His younger brother snorted but Charlie just gave him a sidelong look.

"Why don't we go up and look at the hourglasses?"

Hermione looked around and shrugged to herself. "Well, we're done! Let's go back up!" The two founders exchanged glances with the founder of Slytherin opening his mouth several times to speak up but in the end gave a mournful sigh.

"Wait…" Harry was peering up at the stone mask. For the first time, he noticed that there was something different about the mold. An impression was created at the base of Slytherin's chin. His left hand reached for the crystal that he kept in his pocket after his godfather advised that he would need it to uncover why he was the Heir. Taking the bait firmly, Harry had fished the crystal out of his trunk where he kept most of his things. He took his wand into his left hand and with the blue crystal in his right, he began to will the crystal to float up and tried to fit the crystal into the impression. The two female founders of Hogwarts appeared and they drifted closer to Harry, pushing Ron nearer to Harry. The founders completely cut off the boys from everyone else and Hermione frowned at them, filled to the brim with suspicion.

__

_ "You've got the crystal upside down, Harry,"_ Helga Hufflepuff pointed out gently as Harry tried to fit the crystal into the hollow space.

"Oh…" Harry muttered absently and with a slight twist of his wand, he deftly turned the crystal and almost as if the stone face was a magnet and his crystal was metal, it was sucked in and fitted into the carving nicely. The instant the almost-flat crystal became one with the stone face, the Chamber suddenly froze and all sounds became muted. He turned around to see both Hermione and Charlie frowning at them, and stared in amusement at Ginny's suspended movement. Ron examined them with a peculiar expression on his face, which he quickly dropped when a great roaring noise filled the entire chamber.

Both of them covered their ears with their hands but the noise was still too loud and they winced when it screeched to a high pitch. It went on to a higher pitch, and higher until it reached the frequency that was simply too high for both of the boys to hear. They put their hands down and stared at the chamber when the light began to change from an eerie green glow to an ethereal hazy golden light. Harry began wondering at what had happened to the founders who had been directly behind him.

The room quavered almost fluidly and Ron looked terrified. "Harry! What's going on?" His friend had no time to answer him when Harry felt his stomach heave. He opened his eyes to find that he and Ron were no longer in the Chamber. They seemed to be in somebody's quarters of some kind, though the furniture in the room was sparse. They could see a cot, a small cupboard, and two armchairs at one corner of the room. There was also a dark-brown office desk facing the window but was unoccupied for the moment. "I think we're in some sort of a time travel," Harry said dubiously to his friend.

"Bloody hell! Hermione is not going to like this…" Ron grimaced and then tugged at Harry's sleeve when a figure slowly materialized. It was a man-- or maybe wizard-- given that his robes were much like Dumbledore used to wear, only that it seemed much more ancient. The robes were of a gray color but when the wind blew around the room and the robes moved a little, the fabric glittered. The two boys slowly began to move towards the window and as they came closer, they were able to see that the room they were in, was at least several levels above the ground floor, for it had a nice view of the giant lake.

The two Gryffindors stood close to each other as they cautiously examined the wizard's face. It was lined and wrinkled. His eyebrows, hair and beard were a mixture of black, gray and total white. Although aged, the man still held the handsome features of his youth, especially his eyes and lips. His deep emerald green eyes held great sadness though, and the two boys somehow had the feeling that they were intruding on something personal.

__

_ "Ric had died today…" _the wizard spoke softly, making the boys jump in surprise.

"Is he talking to us? Or himself?" Ron whispered, but Harry indicated that he had no idea. Now that they were aware of the wizard's melancholy, they fidgeted uneasily, waiting for the aged wizard to speak. The wizard clearly was unaware of their presence and he rambled on softly.

__

_ "Wen, did not even let me see him… before he died…" _A tear dropped onto the gray sleeve. _"Even gentle Helga forbid me from going to see him…" _His green eyes studied the expanse of the summer sky with deep sadness._ "It was just as well… I don't think it would have been safe for me to watch him die. I might go mad…He was still young… why did I not go first? I'm at least two decades older than he is…" _he whispered bitterly. _"But I could not. My task remains unfinished…"_ He turned his head slightly so that his eyes pierced through Harry's. _"But it would be… if you are hearing my words, Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Great chaos would trundle upon the lands of the wizards and the normal human beings in centuries to come. The Future is fluid, changing its paths every so often by the small and great deeds-- both good and bad-- by the living." _The man stopped and smiled briefly as a hummingbird of deep green and hues of red hovered at the window, chattering at the wizard._"The course to the most benign future will be altered desperately by one of my own, the one they call Voldemort, or Tom Marvolo Riddle. He and a group of people had twisted my very teachings of magic,"_ he spoke without looking at Harry.

__

_ "It's strange how rumors over a long period of time could become facts… in history books," _the wizard said with dry amusement, and chuckled._"My friends are unaware that I have the gift of Sight. But unlike most Seers, I could only See what could happen in the distant Future. So I know that the facts that was written about me had inspired some people to take on my views to the extreme."_ He gave a great sigh.

__

_ "It's strange on how one could go when one has the need to mend his blunders. I had made the most grievous mistake I could have ever done in my life… short as it may be… I do believe in teaching those born purely out of wizard blood, for they have a higher success in becoming great teachers but I guess I was short-sighted."_ He stared again at Harry.

__

_ "But even wizards have their own fanatics, those who study the Dark Magicks wanted to use their knowledge to bring themselves into Power, or alter the normal course of Nature or Time. Others used it for petty things, like maintaining your youth. To do that, you have to kill seventeen virgin girls and drink their blood." _The wizard snorted derisively. _"No matter if we are the bearers of Magick, we could not consider ourselves superior to the normal humankind. For God did not give us the gifts so that we could escape, from love, life, sorrow, pain and death. Our fundamentals are still those of a human, suffering from the same diseases and illnesses." _His eyes twinkled gently in amusement.

__

_ "If some writer or philosopher had heard me say this, I dare say that wizards who wants to create a superior batch of humans who are resistant to diseases and let's say-- immortality-- would spring up. They simply do not understand the first instant why they have the gift. Actually, I don't think I do either." _He smiled faintly. _"Though one thing is for sure. I do not want a blood bath to occur because of my views and opinions of teaching pureblooded generation. You would think that Voldemort was smart enough to know that that didn't matter to the School anymore. He did got into Slytherin, didn't he? Being half-blooded didn't stop the Hat from choosing him into the House. And it's not because my blood flows in him, either."_ The wizard pursed his lips in distaste.

__

_ "So rather than making you, or your friends search the history books to find out what I really want, I will just tell you. It's accurate but it's up to you how you want to process what I'm going to say. You, as my Heir-- it would be rather thorny if Voldemort was to find out that I had cast him out of the succession line, wouldn't it?"_ The wizard cleared his throat. _"I'm not forcing you to do this, but I want to make sure that you have a goal to achieve, rather than flounder about in Life trying to think of something meaningful to do. Think of it as an incentive to overcome the situation about Voldemort."_

The wizard stepped forward, gazing levelly at Harry. _"A new School must be founded, one that is one and not divided as it is with Hogwarts Four. Your generation would be the one to lead this new foundation of new teachings. And you won't be doing it alone. Try to get everything ready by the time there's a new Potions Master, and you could start from there. Don't worry about stealing ideas from the current Headmaster though, because I am sure that he understands why I had given this instruction to you."_The sadness returned and filled his eyes.

__

_ "That does not mean that Hogwarts would go into disuse though, and keep reminding the current Headmaster that, wouldn't you? You have to do this because if you succeed in prodding the Present to go into the right Future, certain progenies would be in need to study the new and the old ways of Magick. Especially the ones by the Phoenix and the werewolf. That one would be a great handful to handle, and I think it would be rivaled by the one by the Dragon and the healer. And tell her I miss her by the way, you know to whom I am referring to. And you--"_ The wizard suddenly focused on his best friend.

"Make sure you deal with family planning first, and build a large house before you try to go for it. For starters, get three cradles at one go. She would need it."

Ron stared stupidly at the wizard. Harry scowled and blurted out. "What is the feather for?" The wizard looked strangely surprised that the boy had spoken.

__

_ "How remarkable! I did not remember designing the crystal to allow you to speak to me!" _He laughed brightly. _"Well, it's a magical quill for legislative purposes and it has some other uses. Although I doubt that you would need it since you would be having his wife,"_ he was looking directly at Ron, and continued, _"and several others to help you in registering for the new school compounds and so forth." _The wizard narrowed his eyes speculatively then strode over to his desk and pulled a drawer. He finally got out a scroll with a black ribbon tied to secure it.

He went back to the two boys and unrolled the scroll for them to see and they felt their eyes widened as a silver-eyed Fenix, dressed up in the Slytherin's school robe staring out from the parchment in amusement. _"I had made her stand for three straight hours after her graduation to sketch this. Would you please do me a favor? Tell the right eye of the stone face to open up and give whatever that's ejected out to her, please? I never did get around to send her those things." _He smiled plaintively as he rolled the parchment back and kept it inside the drawer. There was a knock on the door, and a handsome-faced Rowena Ravenclaw, though her eyes were puffy, stepped in. She paused when she saw the two forms of the Gryffindors.

__

_ "Salz?" _she said tiredly, her lips quivering and the Gryffindors looked at each other easily.

__

_ "In a moment, Wen,"_ the wizard said softly. The two Gryffindors felt it wise not to look at the founder of Ravenclaw as they heard her sobbed in despair. _"This is what you have to do. Think back on the exact instant on how the Chamber looked like before you heard the shrieking noise. Can you do that?" _The boys nodded and the wizard smiled. _"Then, get going…"_ His eyes stared penetratingly with Harry's green ones. The boys thought how the Chamber had looked and found themselves back with their friends. But the founders were missing. Instead, there were four bulbs of misty silver floating about the room.

__

_ "There is no need for us to linger any further, Harry,"_ the voice belonging to Salazar spoke up. _"I'm counting on you to make the future a better place for all of us."_ They were suddenly gone and normal conversation and Time resumed to its normal course.

Hermione looked at her friends curiously and looked around for the founders._ Where had they gone? What happened? And why is Ron crying?_ The two boys were indeed crying. Ron gave a sniff and said in a hoarse voice. "So… how are you going to open the right eye? It's quite a way up."

"I don't think I have to go up there and tell it to open." Harry examined the stone face critically.

"All right, you two," Hermione said dangerously, brandishing her wand in a threatening manner. "What in the world had happened? And where are the founders?"

"It'll take a little too long to explain, Hermione," Ron said patiently then unexpectedly blushed when he fully realized the true meaning of Salazar's warning. _Triplets? At one go?_ He examined his partner's rather slender figure. _But she's so small!_ Hysteria was bubbling inside him.

"And why are you looking at me like that?" Hermione wailed, her eyes pleading while the rest crowded in to question the two Gryffindors.

__

_ "Right eye of Slytherin…"_ Harry hissed in the reptilian language. His brows creased as he concentrated hard on his gift. _"Open!"_ And the right eye of the stone blinked once then opened and several objects flew out of the air. The last object to fly out was a package wrapped in top quality black silk and the eye shut itself automatically.

"He certainly had quite a few of things to give to her." Ron looked around the Chamber and counted that there were at least twelve objects that had scattered about the room. "Well, let's go and pick them up and then--" Hermione began to protest but it died when both Ron and Harry stared at her in determination. "Then we can explain what all of this is about… but it's up to Harry if he wants to tell you all of it. Don't forget the crystal, Harry. You will need that feather."

His friend gave a lopsided smile. "I seem to have forgotten to ask him how I should retrieve the quill from the crystal. No matter." He concentrated hard and willed the crystal to pop out of the impression and it was a good thing he caught it quick before it had the chance to hit the ground. "Let's go then, and nobody open anything. Those are meant for Fenix."

**********

In the Hall…

They all seemed to be busy listening to Harry and Ron about the conversation with the founder of Slytherin. The two boys had silently agreed not to mention anything about Voldemort or Salazar's capability at seeing the distant future. They remained strictly on the subject of Slytherin's intention of building a new school and Dumbledore seemed a little surprised at that. Ron reassured that Hogwarts would still function, hinting that the new school-- if that could happen-- would be teaching a whole odder bunch of people, while giving Hermione, Alamanda and Fenix very sly looks.

The Fire Master ignored him, and the rest of them, as she sat on her pallet and carefully opened Salazar's gifts to her one by one. Most of them were various accessories for her ears, hair, and a couple of bracelets and necklaces. Except for the parcel wrapped in silk. McGonagall, after hearing from the boys that all the objects that they brought with them were all for the Fire Master, hovered curiously. Fenix did not mind that and then blushed when she saw what the parcel contained. It was a wedding dress-- although you would not know unless you happened to live in the first thirty decades after the Hogwarts Four had been founded, the style was greatly favored by the Celtic ladies. And there was a note attached to it: _Don't let me down and not wear it on your wedding day. I may not be there to see it, but I still want you to be dressed like a woman for once._ Fenix's eyes watered and she wiped them away in irritation. "Stupid old goat."

The teaching staff looked at her quizzically, wondering just whom she was referring to. She had moved on to untie the black ribbon holding several pieces of parchment and was distracted for a moment when a small piece of parchment fell out just as she began unrolling the scrolls. She read it silently:_ Well, if you received this… then I guess Time is going where it should. So guide It well, beloved._ Fenix reread the note twice and sighed. Not letting go of the strange note, she picked one of the parchments and as she had expected, it was a sketch, of her against the background of the Forbidden Forest. She bowed her head down and tears began to fall silently. "He didn't stick around to say goodbye, didn't he?" she whispered. Harry and Ron stayed silent, watching Remus going to her. "Stupid, idiotic wizard."

__

_ : He just told me to say that he loves you. : _Harry sent his thought and she gave a long sigh.

"Just as well. Both of us were never really good at greetings or farewells, believe it or not." Fenix sighed, finally smiling a little and began to study all the other sketches, allowing Remus to hold her as she tried to remember the instances when Salazar had sketched her images.

Harry was looking at the Fire Master curiously. _So she was a student at Hogwarts, and a Slytherin to boot. I wonder how she lived her life back then. It must be pretty interesting…_

**********  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	55. The Latest News

**~ Chapter 55: The Latest News ~**

**Saturday, 10th November. Four thirty-six in the morning…**

The Great Hall was filled with the light snores of the students and the teaching staff of Hogwarts who had preferred to mingle with the students although it was no longer necessary for them to do so. Only Aberforth, Moody, Charlie and the whole bunch of fourteen elves were up, roaming around the silent corridors of the castle with the ghosts of Hogwarts. Dumbledore was closed in his office with Kingsley, discussing on their future actions. Even the poltergeist was influenced by the activities that were occurring in the school. He nowadays was much disinclined to play any pranks on anyone, preferring to skulk about the castle with the Bloody Baron, reporting even a straying Boggart to the students.

While Fenix and the rest were out to scout again in the afternoon on the previous day, Harry and Hermione had rearranged all their pallets to form a big rectangular bed for all of them. They had no choice but to sleep in together, much like the night when they first arrived at Hogwarts, going straight up to the Room of Requirement. Aldren, who was standing guard at the great doors, occasionally peeked into the Hall. His keen eyesight picked out Fenix's face, half-buried on Remus's torso, with her oathbrother's arm carelessly resting on her waist, with the two wolves curled up behind their heads. Then, there was ridiculous, good-humored Potions Master, sandwiched in between Harry and his godson, who had totally ignored his godfather's gentle rebuke and invited Alamanda to sleep with him. Out of the ten people sleeping together, Draco's hair was distinctive among them all, since Alamanda had auburn hair and a majority of them have the same jet-black hair like Harry's.

The elf smiled to himself and returned to his former position. He took a deep breath then began focusing on his attention to hear the sounds echoing all about the castle. He was able to hear the whispers of the ghosts coming from down the dungeons then scowled when he heard a rush of wings coming from the courtyard. _It's a little too early for post, isn't it?_ His question was answered in a matter of seconds when flying bodies emerged to head straight for the Hall. Hundreds of owls swooped into the Hall and began dropping off envelopes and Aldren winced when both the Creevey brothers had parcels dropped onto their faces.

There were several grunts and moans echoing all over the Hall, and Fenix's group was woken up when Hermione gave a startled yelp when something landed on her chest. "What is it?" Ron said sleepily when he felt Hermione left his side. He was distracted when an envelope fell onto his face. Magical candles began appearing and slowly, activity spread around the room, though there were more grumbles than puzzlement at being woken up.

"Does anyone have a few coins?" Hermione said worriedly as the post-owl waited patiently. The males all fished out several Knuts and tossed it to her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Fenix was the only one who did not receive anything but they were all surprised when Draco received a parcel. Snape raked his fingers through his black hair while he scanned the letters he received, most were reply letters from drugstores and his own circle of Potions Masters.

__

_ : Hold it, Draco. Who sent that? :_ the boy's godfather inquired suspiciously.

__

_ : I have no idea, sir, :_ the Slytherin replied, frowning a little as he checked the parcel for any kind of notes, but there were none. Snape was about to reach for the parcel when Hermione gave a gasp.

__

_ : Don't open that parcel yet, :_ he instructed his godson firmly as an owl hovered and dropped a copy of the _Daily Prophet_, and he began to count his coins before depositing them in the small pouch that was attached to one of its legs. The newspaper headlines caught his attention immediately:**_ The Dark Lord launches his attacks on the other Wizarding Schools._**

_ : What in Heaven's name? : _Snape was shocked.

Sirius was even more stupefied that the Potions Master was. _: How on earth did Voldemort manage to gather enough followers to hit the Schools badly? : _By now, the School was awake and students huddled in groups as they read the recent happenings of the outside world.

Fenix crawled over to the Potions Master's side and leaned over, reading the small prints with no difficulty at all. She was dissatisfied however; the report held no substantial evidence of how the Schools were attacked._ : From what I know, both from research and from what Hermione had told me, the Durmstrang Castle is situated in a good defensive position. So how is it that they were invaded so easily, and had received the highest number of casualties? Durmstrang is quite an impressive and strict school; they should have been prepared and mobilized. :_

The group was silent as Fenix made her observation known to them. "I wonder if he's all right?"

"You mean Krum?" the Fire Master asked gently and the girl gave a small nod. Fenix tilted her head and bid her Sylph to gather information. _: It seems that Voldemort's plans are fairly extensive. I wonder how his followers had managed to creep up without my peers getting to know about them, and the Elementals are absolutely horrified by their slow respond. : _Her mindvoice was grave.

__

_ : Don't blame yourself, Fenix. As to how Durmstrang managed to achieve the highest rate of casualties, :_ her partner's mindvoice was gentle, _: I think it's because of Karkaroff and also the school has the reputation of teaching their own students the Dark Arts. :_

_ : You're trying to say that the ex-students attacked their own school? :_ Fenix said in a somewhat surprised tone.

__

_ : Who knows, : _Remus shrugged, and continued to speak, _: only they know the exact location of the school, and if they had been really aware of Voldemort's intent on resurrection, they could have noted the school's weaknesses. :_

Fenix's eyes took on a distant focus when an Air Master contacted her. She frowned because her friend was overextending herself to reach her. _: Nighthawk, drop the connection. I'll establish contact with you via the fireglass. :_ Her friend's relief flowed down the mind-link and released the connection.

"What's up?" Ron asked curiously but she shook her head, crawling back to where she had been sleeping and sat down, staring at a point ahead of her with fierce concentration. A spherical ball of red fire appeared and hardened to the texture of a crystal ball, but they were still able to see the fire flickering hotly. The crystal darkened then finally sharpened to reveal a pretty woman in her prime with long blonde hair and crystal blue eyes.

"Okay, what's the news?" Fenix asked the woman anxiously.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Nighthawk, Air Master of Hammerfest. Well, the boy-- ah-- I believe that the full name is Krum, Viktor? He's all right, extremely lucky because he is one of my many nephews, and fully under the protection of an Earth Elemental mage. So, going back to you, Fenix. As far as the investigation had gone, Durmstrang was not personally attacked by You-Know-Who, relying heavily on his bunch of fanatics. I do not wish to alarm you, but somehow, You-know-who has managed to get something like a Fire Elemental to terrorize and managed to burn some of the students to death."

"What?" Fenix gasped, feeling as if she had suddenly lost her balance and was falling from a great height.

"My Sylph is not exactly sure of what the creatures were. They were certainly not Fire Djins. Hold on a sec--" Nighthawk squinted in the distance, then a frown began to descend on her pretty face. "All right, they were not Elementals at all…" Her eyes narrowed again. "As far as one Fire mage was able to tell, they are not, nor do the Salamanders recognize them."

"Describe them, if you can…" Fenix instructed.

"I'm not sure because the witness-- one of the survivors from the attack-- only described the 'thing' as a tall pillar of flame. It doesn't have a pair of hands; he described it as 'dozens of tentacles snapped out forward to grasp then pull' the victim to the main body of fire." Nighthawk looked apologetically at the Fire Master.

Fenix stared thoughtfully at the crystal, then nodded absently. "Were there any giants?" But Nighthawk shook her head. "Do you guys need help?"

"No, that's unnecessary. The Dryads and the brownies are dealing with the situation expertly. They're angry by the way. If we're not careful, these guys might decide to join you in the war with Voldemort."

"If they happen to request that, tell them I said no. If they're not happy, they could always send up a petition to Him," Fenix told her and exchanged their farewells before the fire began to pulsate and the image of the Air Master wavered, then vanished. During the conversation, some of the other students had drifted into the group, looking at the spherical fireball curiously, and gasped when it suddenly vanished.

Fenix caught sight of Luna, whose eyes were wide open and looking at her with apprehension. "I think they were Heliopaths."

"There is no such thing as a Heliopath," Hermione said in aggravation and several nods echoed around. Neville looked dubious and everyone stared at her when she frowned, repeating the word 'Heliopath' several times.

__

_ I feel as if I have heard this from somewhere… but where? _She felt that she was nearing the answer but it evaded her and snapped out of her reverie when the hair at the back of her neck began to rise and her arms began to tingle.

__

_ "Your father was a fool to have disowned you…"_ All wands were instantly out and all of them sprung up to their feet. Draco was looking at the parcel with hatred. _"An early birthday gift for you, Draco. You did me no great service by burning me, however." _The voice began to laugh and they felt chilled by the insanity that was present in his laughter.

It seemed to Fenix that her Salamanders were terribly angered by the Dark Lord that they had disappeared with the parcel, and a loud explosion occurred somewhere down in the sub-levels. Fenix frowned when her group of Salamanders and her Sylphs returned, blackened and covered with soot. "Don't say anything," Krill said when she began to ask.

"It's just as well. I thought Voldemort had sent you your father's head, but well, others confirmed that Lucius's still his right-hand man," Aelwyn remarked, casually shaking herself of the dust. "But I'm sorry for the dungeon though; blew up quite a few things."

"Not my class surely!" Snape's eyes were wide, as he thought of his store cupboard and research materials.

__

_ : Sev, don't insult them. I don't think they're stupid enough to open the dubious parcel in any of the important rooms, : _Fenix said lightly, and the Potions Master breathed a huge sigh of relief. She turned to her chief Elemental. _: Are you guys all right? :_ All of them nodded. She looked about the Hall and gave a crooked smile as she watched the disgruntled faces of sleepy students. "It's still a little too early for you guys to be up and functioning," she said rather loudly and there were several agreements and grumbles. "Why don't you go and get some more sleep?" the Fire Master suggested and most of the boys complied, with Montague being the first one to fling himself back on his pallet, covering his face with a pillow.

The rest followed suit and the magical candles faded slowly. The adults remained awake, half-expecting to be summoned by the Headmaster. Dumbledore did send Moody to get them for a meeting but just as the ex-Auror appeared at the great doors of the Hall, some of the Fire Master's Elementals reported that the Minister, Mr. Fudge was on his way to the boathouse with four Aurors. She relayed the information to her company, Moody included, and she instructed Snape, Sirius and Remus to go ahead to Dumbledore's office while she and the Ex-Auror fetch the Minister. Wordlessly, the two wolves got up and stretched then deftly maneuvered their way around the pallets and sleeping students and waited with Moody.

Draco and Harry looked expectantly at the group of adults and in the dim light, they saw Fenix's sly wink and they smiled roguishly as they accepted her invitation that she would report anything of interest back to them. _: I don't think she'll tell us everything though. :_ Draco turned his head to his side to look at his oathbrother, who nodded in agreement. The Slytherin shifted a little as he adjusted to Alamanda who was curling up beside him again. He gave an absent kiss on her head then turned back to look at Harry.

__

_ : Don't you think it is weird for Fudge to come here personally? It's quite a huge risk… :_ his oathbrother observed, his green eyes reflecting the light of the false sky gently.

__

_ : Who knows? : _Draco almost shrugged but decided not to, for fear of disturbing the girl who was sleeping beside him.

**********

At the Headmaster's office…

Nothing exciting happened as Moody and Fenix escorted the group into the castle. Winky appeared when the Fire Master touched the ground and she gratefully handed the Ice Dagger to the willing house-elf. When they headed up to the Headmaster's office, Snape was waiting calmly by the door, his black eyes gleaming calmly as he studied the form of the Minister. The Potions Master moved away to allow the group to enter.

__

_ : A bit of warning, here. The Headmaster and his brother are angry at something, : _Snape informed her and she tilted her head up and looked inquiringly at the Potions Master.

__

_ : What about? :_

_ : I think you'll understand the consequences better than we could, :_ he answered as he guided Fenix into the room. There were several puffs and chairs magically popped out of thin air, and the Aurors sat gratefully down on it, dignity forgotten as they slumped in their chairs.

McGonagall was conjuring up five mugs of hot chocolate for the sudden visitors, all looking very haggard. Fenix was attending to one of the Aurors, a handsome Japanese guy, one by the name of Aoshi. He had a severe burn in his arm and she casually took a stool and sat down beside him, deftly severing the tattered sleeve of his shirt and began Healing him. It surprised the Minister greatly, for he did not recognize her, not remembering that it had been she who had responded to the call for help, when St. Mungo's was in trouble. Moody did not introduce her to him and it suited the Fire Master well.

"So Cornelius," the Headmaster began, peering cautiously at the man sitting before his desk, "what has happened that had made you come all the way here, perilously risking your lives?" Dumbledore leaned back in his great chair and scratched Fawkes's chin absently. His voice was surprisingly cool although his eyes that looked at the Minister were firm. All eyes were on the Minister, except for Fenix who was still concentrating on Aoshi's burn.

Aberforth spoke up, sneering slightly. "Please do not tell us that you had _really_ raised up an army of _Heliopaths _and then say that they have gotten loose of the Ministry controls and fled straight into Voldemort's arms." Fudge flinched at the ancient man's words; his face paled and began shaking. Aberforth and Moody's laughter was filled with sarcasm. "You never learn, do you, Cornelius. We had advised you against using Dementors, and I assume that you had let the dogs go to hell in pursue of your research project on the Heliopaths?" The smile on Aberforth's face vanished, looking soberly at the Minister.

It really came as a surprise to Fenix and the others who had gathered in the Headmaster's office when Aberforth's fist came up and the Minister collapsed against a sidewall, looking horrified and dazed at the same time. Fenix finished Healing the injured man and gave an arch look at the oldest man in the room. Despite his ancient looks, he still had the strength of his youth and looked quite like a man who had just got a taste of the exhilaration that came during a tavern fight.

"Word had gotten out that some, who are working in the Ministry, are actually bending the rules about rearing Dark Creatures," Dumbledore told those of them who had gathered. "Why don't you explain it? Since you were the one who processed that information." He gazed at his older brother, who was looking at the dazed Minister with dislike.

"The exact origins of the Heliopath are not known. But they have existed for several centuries now, only that they were very rare, to be found in the hottest of sulfur springs and active volcanoes," Aberforth said in a serious tone, lighting up his smoke pipe and to his amusement, Fenix moved to another part of the room, well away from smoky fumes and opened the windows.

__

_ : Take note, Moony. It seems like your sweetheart does not approve of smoking, : _Sirius remarked to his best friend.

"However, a research group had been altering some things and the unidentified creatures were now termed Heliopaths; because that is what they are. Essence of fire moderated to become killing machines. Magick cannot work on them by the way." He paused as he smoked his pipe and Dumbledore continued.

"Unfortunately, that's not all. After years of generation, they seemed to have multiplied quickly-- I have no idea how they got them to breed-- and the intelligence network had discovered that they had evolved in a way the experimenters had not imagined."

Fenix subjected a level gaze at the Headmaster and then stared icily at Fudge, who had just gotten up to his feet and was straightening his robe. The windows began to crack and Sirius abruptly left the office. The Fire Master stared at the entrance where her oathbrother had left and examined the damaged window directly behind her. She stared at it in concentration and the hairline cracks vanished in an instant, whereas McGonagall, Snape and Remus moved around the office, muttering _'Reparo' _under their breaths._ Is he implying what I think he is implying? _She was not aware that she was clenching her right fist so tightly that her nails had cut deep into her palm. Remus moved toward her quickly, screening her off from the Minister and conjured up a strip of sterile cloth and bandaged it for her.

"Albus…" Fenix spoke up, her voice cold. "Are you saying that these people had been messing around with Dark Magic?" The Aurors looked at her and the Headmaster in confusion but the Minister's eyes told the Fire Master all that she needed to know. Her oathbrother returned with a murderous look, and Snape was the one who had to stop him from taking his turn at the Minister. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.

Dumbledore just gave the Minister one glance and then he was dismissed. He turned to the Aurors and told them-- not the Minister-- that he would undertake the investigation and ways to stop them due to the necessity of securing their lives. "Fenix, do you mind… doing…"

__

_ : I could… but these_ blokes _would not remember a single thing about Gating, though. I'm not about to start some people on research on tampering with Gates and Time. Don't be surprised if you get fined by those controlling the Floo Network, in the next few minutes or so, : _she told the Headmaster privately and he gave her a nod. Fenix gave a mental request to her Elementals to find a suitable doorframe for her to build a portal.

__

_ : You guys, :_ Fenix looked pointedly at Kingsley, Moody, Aberforth, Sirius, Snape and Remus, _: can you help me herd these guys along? :_

_ : Where are we taking them? :_ Snape asked curiously as Kingsley whispered softly to his colleagues and Fudge.

__

_ : Somewhere suitable. By the way, please build up a net all about the room. I don't want any house-elves to blunder into the room by accident, : _she communicated to her chief Elemental.

She took the lead then, carefully following her Sylphs to the referred room. After her Elementals had secured the room, she began building the shield as she instructed her friends to stay back. Fudge was looking suspiciously at her rigid form, unmoving and not doing anything. He and the four Aurors were totally caught by surprise when white light engulfed them completely. The light slowly dimmed and they only saw her standing right in front of a doorway, the Minister and the four employees were nowhere in sight.

__

_ : Come on, :_ Fenix instructed and they all headed back to Dumbledore's office to continue with their meeting.

**********

The five people who had traveled to see Professor Dumbledore found themselves lying face up in the Auror's offices. Aoshi sat up and frowned at his sleeve, trying to remember how they had returned to the Ministry after visiting Dumbledore.

"I have one god-awful headache," Conal Bryson moaned, "and how did we end up here?"

Fudge was sitting, massaging his swollen cheek carefully. "We must have traveled by Floo; it was a little too dangerous for us to be making that particular trip."

Jason Reef, another Auror stood up without saying anything and he had good reasons for keeping silent. He clearly remembered the information that he had gained from Dumbledore and was looking at Fudge with utter disgust. His thoughts turned into the actions of the strange woman. So far, not even the media had been able to find anything about her, save that she was a teacher also teaching D.A.D.A. and that she was the werewolf's partner. He clearly remembered as to how they had been transported back into the Ministry. _It is just as well that she had tried tampered with their memories. Her way of traveling could induce too much curiosity and break the hundreds of rules of how Magick works. As for me, there is absolutely no reason why I should inform them that we had not traveled by the Network._

**********  



	56. The Black & The White

**~ Chapter 56: The Black and The White ~**

**Saturday, 10th November. In the late afternoon…**

Fenix and Draco were alone in the courtyard, as both of them tried to awaken the Slytherin's true form, the Great Dragon. The task was not an easy one however. Draco was still unable to channel his Fire into the Form, accidentally scorching the Fire Master once in a while. An hour ago, Alamanda and her group of friends had gathered to watch but after they had seen Draco's frustrating tries, they themselves felt frustrated and had gone off in search of something to do. The rest of the School was training themselves in full combat mode, for Dumbledore had decided that they would commit themselves fully in fighting Voldemort. The Elementals had offered to act as sentries and had been posted to every part of the castle and the Forest. The Greater Nymphs, Dryads and other Earth Elementals were constantly giving feedback to her Air Elementals, particularly about the movements of the centaurs.

They were disastrously running out of time because Voldemort will be attacking the School within the week. That was what her Elementals who had been sent to spy reported to her, but they were unsure of how his body of fighting units would be deployed. That was understandable for he was not playing host to the existing clan of giants, or the mysterious newly evolved type of Heliopaths. The unknown creatures were making more than half of the School edgy because they lacked the information of how the Heliopaths attack, or the weaknesses of the creatures.

The elves, Madam Pince and even Peeves were helping out in scouring the library for details of the Heliopaths, but so far they had found none. Aberforth had gone down to Hogsmeade, much to his brother's consternation via the use of the humpbacked, one-eyed witch statue, to find out if he could get anyone to give a description of the elusive creatures and if he could, information that would be extremely useful to them. Of course, only Dumbledore, Fenix, her partner and her oathbrother knew that he had gone by the secret passage, and the Fire Master had also sent some of the Elementals to follow the man around, to give the man backup protection, should he need them. Almost as if the witch's statue had brought them memories, Sirius and Remus had pulled her away and requested that she post more sentries, preferably the Earth Elementals to the many secret entrances into the School.

Fenix halted her exercise with Draco for the sixth time. _: Take a seat, Drake. :_ She herself sat cross-legged on the damp ground. She gave a long sigh and stared penetratingly at the panting Slytherin. She summoned for any of her helpers to get the boy a drink and one of her Sylphs returned with a big bottle of ice-cold water, which the boy gratefully took and gulped the cold liquid down. _: Do you think it will help you if you were to merge completely with me for as long as it takes for me to show you how I cultivate the Fire and send it back to my soul to take on another Form? : _She stared unblinkingly at him.

__

_ : I'm sorry, :_ the Slytherin apologized, making her smile warmly at him.

__

_ : What on earth for? :_

_ : It takes a bit of time for me to get the hang of an idea. I'm basically a visual learner, : _Draco explained.

__

_ : Humans are such complex creatures. :_ Fenix rolled her eyes dramatically.

__

_ : What do you mean by that? : _Draco protested and her silvery laughter filled the courtyard and they set off to work again. This time, Fenix had created a huge shield to shelter them both from intrusions and also to protect the environment around them.

__

_ : I really hope you'll be able to get the idea, Drake, because if you don't I think I'm going to cry because I had failed to make you understand. :_ She gave a rueful smile. Like Harry, she had begun to call by his nickname, giving the excuse that it was easier on her tongue and also because it was short._ : Take my 'hand' and we're off. :_

**********

Harry, Ron and Hermione squeezed in through the side door to watch the two people undergoing their own practice session. Hermione suddenly sneezed, making the two boys jump in surprise and immediately answered, "Bless you!"

"Sorry," Hermione said sheepishly and wore her scarf tighter about her neck. "I wonder how those two are able to work in weather this cold."

"I don't think they feel the cold," Harry said and at his friends' puzzlement, he continued. "Drake is being their primary heater," he explained, pointing to the circle of ground where the two were seating as they meditated.

The three turned as one and walked through the corridor slowly. "It's hard to believe that Draco is actually one of the--" Ron peered about carefully before whispering, "Ancients." A cold wind from the side door entered and drifted into the corridor and the three shuddered.

"Yeah…" Harry agreed, suddenly feeling strange. "You want to know something?" he asked both of his friends casually, as they sought for the warmth of the Great Hall. "I can't believe that he is my oathbrother either."

"Don't mention that," Ron said almost sourly.

"Are you jealous?" Hermione suppressed a cheeky smile, staring at the path forward and not looking at either her partner or her friend. Ron halted then quickly lunged at her, tickling her sides.

"What on earth for?" Ron shouted as the corridor was filled with Hermione's clear laughter and Harry shook his head, shoulders trembling with chuckles. "I have enough brothers to keep me on my toes!" His partner took an opportunity to gouge him between his ticklish spot then fled but after giving him a lofty look. "What did I do?" Ron asked his best friend in bewilderment.

Harry casually clasped Ron's shoulder as they neared the Hall and whispered confidentially to his buddy. "I think she was expecting you to say that at least you are not single… like me!"

Ron lifted a bushy red eyebrow. "And since when had you gotten better at deducing the mind of a girl?"

Harry laughed heartily. "Probably after I've seen those dumbfounded looks that both Fenix and Remus had when they met for the first time at The Burrow. If you had not noticed, I've been watching all the couples ever since school started," he said as they entered the Hall. Thankfully, both of them had their personal shields up when a Tickling Spell zoomed off toward their faces.

"Oi!" Ron yelled, jumping back in surprise when his copper-colored shield began to sparkle madly. The two boys scanned the crowd for the culprits and Ron's eyes lighted up upon seeing Hermione's glowing face. "Hermy!"

"Hermy!" his partner screamed, her face reddening in indignation.

"You are going to get yourself into trouble, you know," Harry commented with a straight face.

"That's the whole idea, isn't it? If you don't sparkle your relationship with a bit of silly arguments, it would be pretty dull I tell you." Ron shrugged indifferently. The Hall was preparing itself for dinner and the pallets vanished and were replaced by the huge tables and benches. "So what about you?"

Harry gave his friend a perplexed look. "What about me?"

"Not going after Cho again?" Ron asked him with a sidelong look as he sat himself beside his partner, who was giving him a sullen stare. "Oh… come of it, dear!" Ginny made a vomiting noise while the Gryffindor table erupted with laughter at Ron's cloying expression.

"A bit of advice here, Ron," Charlie spoke up feeling right at home at the table. "I don't think it's wise for you to get so familiar with each other while you are still young."

"I understand that, but I wish this one," Ron squeezed Hermione affectionately by the waist and she blushed, "has a nickname. Hermione's kind of long…"

"The original's the best…" Lee agreed.

Ron's stomach began to growl and Hermione sighed. "Dinner's in half an hour. Maybe someone ought to bring Draco and Fenix in. If they're not successful by now, they might as well take a real rest and sit down with us for dinner."

"I don't think we need to." Sirius casually sat himself beside Ginny. "Saw both of them going up to shower." He carefully examined Harry's hair and then at the Potions Master beside him. "Any of you want a haircut? Fenix's going to trim mine tomorrow." Harry and Snape nodded. A group of the elves came in and the Hall fell into a hushed silence. They headed straight for the Gryffindor table and most of the girls from the other tables sighed in disappointment, while Aldren and his companions mingled with the Gryffindors.

Hermione leaned forward to whisper to Harry, as a comment to Ron's forgotten question. "Don't bother about Cho, Harry. I'm sure you would rather wait until you get older than 'going steady' with someone who is fickle about her choices."

He nodded solemnly. "You're quite right."

Ginny was looking speculatively at him and he tilted his head to a side in silent inquiry. "Something had just occurred to me. Now that you two are oathbrothers… which of you is older?" the girl asked.

"Why would it matter?" Harry questioned her, shrugging lackadaisically just as Fenix came in, freshly dressed, her hair still damp from her bath.

"Does anyone know when is his birthday?" Ginny asked the company, looking at the Potions Master in particular but Snape shook his head.

"Yo! What are you guys discussing?" the Fire Master spoke up, taking her usual seat beside Remus.

"We're wondering when is Draco's birthday," Hermione informed her.

"Why don't you ask me?" The Slytherin appeared, with Cadriel following closely behind him. Ginny exchanged a glance with Hermione, while Fenix looked at them with interest. Draco gallantly sat down beside the Fire Master, who was sitting opposite to Harry.

"Okay, so when is your birthday? Is it over?" Ginny pestered him eagerly.

"December, on the seventeenth."

Fenix shifted so that she was looking at him, her eyes twinkling cheerfully. "Arrow in full flight? Not bad… that means teaching would suit you nicely."

"Wow! We have at least two born under the Sagittarius! Fiery lot, you two!" Ron whistled, then he gave an oblique look at his best friend. "Now we know that this bloke is younger than us... except for Ginny."

"Yeah, what a surprise… really!" Hermione said. "I mean… given his… ah… behavior… I was really expecting him to be born somewhere around earlier in the year. Anyway, Fenix," she looked curiously at the Fire Master, "what do you mean by arrow in full flight?"

"It's part of the Druid readings. It describes part of our main character, hidden strengths and otherwise. So other than Draco being born under the sign of Sagita, whereas I am born under the sign of Aquilla, both of us were born under the Elder Tree. I seriously do not know how much of this stuff is true, but… well being born the Elder Tree, you tend to have memories of your past." She was looking carefully at Draco, who had a pensive expression.

"Really?" Sirius was giving her a thoughtful look. "How about Harry?"

"Druid reading says he is born under the Crater, can be a good or bad ruler," Cadriel piped up in slightly accented British, ignoring the surprised looks of both Ron and Harry. "He is also born under the Holly Tree. Most probably will hold the strengths relating with the Earth."

Dishes miraculously began appearing on the tables and Ron's face lit up with great enthusiasm. Normal conversation sprang up again and Harry somehow thought that the easy atmosphere surrounding them was a mockery since the world was anything but safe. He remained silent, listening to his godfather's soft comments that those from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic might consider joining Hogwarts.

__

_ : That is likely to get messy, wouldn't it? :_ Harry remarked.

__

_ : It's possible. I wonder if we could condense the four-year war contract… : _Sirius mused as he ate his chicken chop.

__

_ : I think it all depends on all our small moves and see where it leads us. I think the major confrontation will take place when I'm ready… though I wonder when that would be. : _His godson fell silent, and Sirius narrowed his eyes. He did not like the way Harry had sound. Talking in mindspeech had a distinct feature in that the users-- if one knew what to look for-- the intensity of the responder's thoughts. _Is he falling into depression?_ Sirius looked at his godson carefully before answering Snape's question about their patrol.

Harry seemed to shake himself out of his reverie and communicated with his oathbrother via the silent mode. _: So, how did your training go? :_

_ : It was bad at first, but I think I finally saw the trick. Though I was not able to concentrate much for the past hour or so since my stomach was complaining like hell, :_ Draco answered, quickly devouring his meal and was the first to go for the dessert. _: Maybe that's why my tries were so lame… I certainly hope my hunger was the reason in the delay of the awakening. : _He quickly chewed down his mango pudding heartily._ : What did you do? :_

_ : Believe it or not… we've been practicing archery. Not all of us though, mainly the group of Defenders and Assailants. The elves reckoned that since we would be up against giants again-- probably-- the arrows would cause more damage that a spell could. Faster and it takes less effort, :_ he answered, finally finishing his chop then took a moment to finish his pumpkin juice before he went for the pudding.

Draco frowned for a moment before it vanished._ : Do you mean we're going to the front line? :_ His oathbrother looked at him carefully before giving a slight nod. _: So it's just a matter of time before Dumbledore gives the orders. : _Then he turned his attention to the Fire Master sitting beside him. _: Are we having another go later? :_

_ : I don't want to push you, but if you think you're fine then I guess we could give it a two hours' worth of tries, then we'll call it a night. Fine with that? :_ she answered, smiling gently at him.

: Yeah. :

**********

Early evening…

The Hall had dimmed, as most of the students preferred to get some sleep, while there were still gentle murmurs occurring in all corners of the mass of students. Harry and his group had already fallen into an exhausted sleep while Draco was still out with Fenix in the courtyard. Sirius, Remus and Snape were talking silently as they watched their wards sleep, and Remus occasionally checked his pocket watch since Fenix had requested him to call her when it was time for them to stop the practice.

In the courtyard, the two were standing in the middle of the space. Draco was showing vast improvement and it would not be long when he would successfully take on another form. Fenix stared impassively at Draco, who had successfully manifested a high amount of Fire and he was already directing them back to his own core. She had advised him earlier, since both of them had no idea of the Slytherin's true form, he should just think of a general type of dragon. His subconscious intelligence would take it from there.

Draco's pair of silver eyes held the same haunting quality that she possessed, green fire flickering steadily. His pair of eyes examined his surroundings carefully. Only the slight tingling in his entire body alerted him that he was using his Magick. The environment suddenly turned lighter, and his sense of eyesight and smell began to sharpen. He felt the Fire rush back into him, and then he felt a 'click' at the back of his mind. The Fire Master grew excited because he had managed to get this far without any further prods from her. Their exhilaration vanished when both of them were suddenly filled with intense pain and collapsed to their knees. Both were clutching their heads and were gasping for breaths. Despite the tears that were flowing out of her eyes, she desperately tried to shield both of them, but the magical power that was radiating out from somewhere in the castle was too strong and impulsive. Draco screamed his agony, and another echoed his screams from inside the castle.

**********

Harry shifted to his side, feeling uncomfortably warm and opened his eyes slightly to watch Snape's bent form over a chessboard with his godfather. Then he fell back into his restless sleep, feeling his mind going into the blackness that represented slumber. That scene changed almost abruptly as he found himself standing a world filled with white, incandescent light. He knew he was immobilized and did not fight; instead he turned his neck to his sides to study the surroundings. _I hope that what I see is not because I do not have my glasses on. _That was his inconsequential thought as he looked around the environment.

The place held not even a glimpse of a shadow except for the white light. _What is this place? Where am I?_ He thought, somehow not occurring to him that he should have been panicking. _This place is so barren…_ Just as he formed that thought in his mind, his scar started to burn. _What… _He did not get to finish his thought when thousands of images, impressions and sensations totally filled his mind. The burning sensation of his scar was nothing compared to the intense agony in his mind. He felt something broke loose inside him but he had no idea what it was, then he felt himself opening his throat and a deathly scream broke out.

**********

They were so deep in their silent conversation and their chessboard that they had not noticed that Harry was floating his way up to the ceiling. Only when Nick and a couple of the elves went into the Hall were they disturbed by horrified gasps all around them. A couple of the Sylphs zoomed in to bring the boy down, but there seemed to be an impenetrable shield covering the boy; more than that, it produced a shock wave that knocked the Elementals senseless. The commotion seemed to have wakened most of the students and they stared at the floating boy. Sirius stared with a horrified expression when waves of pure white light emanated out of Harry. Chaos erupted in the Hall, as most found themselves flung onto the brick walls but the elves and those with the ability of mindspeech found themselves having to deal with something else.

__

_ : Father! :_ Aldren sent his plea before he was totally overwhelmed by the energy. He dimly heard the screams of Draco and Fenix, then Harry's, high up above their heads. The elf also heard the incredibly shrewd Montague yelling for the students to clear out of the Hall-- if they could. The incapacitated Potions Master, Sirius, Remus and the two wolves were being dragged by Ron's group, staying close to the walls when another wave of energy hit them.

The students fled down into the narrow staircase leading to the dungeons, and the elves gasped with pain, most of them collapsing on their knees and holding their aching heads in their hands. Dumbledore and Mineif quickly strode out of their office after Feqzu informed them what had happened. The house-elf however stopped the two from entering the 'danger-zone' after warning the Elven Lord that he would be severely affected by the waves of energy. Both of them stared at the walls of energy flowing out of the Great Hall impassively. The Headmaster turned grave eyes at the elf and questioned the Elven Lord softly. "What is happening?"

Mineif studied the waves of white energy calmly. "All I can tell you that this is not brought on by Voldemort. This magic that I feel is somewhat primitive." He smiled at the Headmaster who was looking at him archly. "I know… but perhaps Fenix knows about this form of manifestation than I. Where is she by the way?" He stared at a Sylph and found out from the Elemental that the Fire Master and Draco were struggling to get up on their feet.

Dumbledore saw the two people leaning against each other for support as they worked their legs hard against the waves of energy to get into the Hall. _: Fenix, it's too dangerous,. :_ Mineif warned her but her silver eyes glinted with determination and he saw that she was shaking her head.

__

_ : This was bound to happen. I was not expecting his gifts to be awakened this soon. Anyway, I am not supposed to be the one to help Harry this time, : _she told him, her eyes looking up at the Slytherin who was supporting her.

__

_ : But is the boy ready? :_

_ : Trust me, : _the Fire Master answered as both of the Ancients disappeared into the Hall.

**********

Pallets and blankets were strewn messily everywhere in the Hall. The two leaned against the wall as they tried to catch their breaths. Both studied Harry and the waves carefully, shuddering at the intensity of the energy. Harry's form suddenly shifted and he descended very slowly. His eyes were opened, but unseeing as if there was something else controlling him._ This is not good…_

_ : This is just like the time when we had to search for Harry in his own mind, isn't it? : _Draco observed and she nodded. _: God… he is such a troublesome fellow. : _Harry was walking slowly toward them, his face impassive.

__

_ : Well, you know what to do. I'll deal with the waves. : _Fenix finally broke away from him and walked slowly over to Harry. The boy's unseeing eyes turned hostile and he sent a wall of power to block her. In an instant, the Fire Master had turned into her true form and began sucking the wild energy about them like a vacuum. _: Now! : _she ordered the Slytherin, who was sprinting toward his oathbrother at a high speed.

Draco was really gambling on the fact that he could use his specialty in penetrating shields and hoping he would not get incinerated in the process. He felt resistance against all sides as he neared his oathbrother but extending a hand before him, seemed to part the shield that Harry was using to block him. Using his speed, he broke past of all protections and flung himself at his oathbrother. Then everything went black as a huge form took place in the middle of the Hall. The Phoenix scrutinized the scene carefully as her fiery silver-blue eyes took in the fiery, black wings of the Dragon. The energy about them was dissipating as Draco helped to his struggling oathbrother to control the Gifts that had been activated.

Fenix returned to her own form and studied the magnificent form of Draco's with pride. Minutes went by and all was silent. A gust of wind suddenly blew about them and when she opened her eyes, she saw both of the oathbrothers standing, facing each other. _: I really hope that this would be the last time that you had gotten me out of trouble, Drake, : _Harry said contritely.

__

_ : One can hope. You are all right now? : _his oathbrother said worriedly, the green fire still danced in his eyes.

__

_ : Yeah, I think this would be the first and the last time that I went absolutely out of control. It really took me by surprise. And Fenix, I'm sorry about your shields, : _Harry spoke up as she approached the boy. The Fire Master frowned and hoped that he was not talking about the shields protecting Hogwarts. She hugged the boy with relief when she found out that he was apologizing for giving her a hard time when she tried to build shields to protect herself and Draco from the overwhelming Magic.

__

_ : So what exactly is going on with you? :_ Draco interrogated his oathbrother.

__

_ : It's this… : _Harry's form suddenly was engulfed with white energy and Fenix felt the room grew cold. The light pulsated about Harry and began to brighten. Fenix began to sense joy and respect for the Power that was with him. Harry had been gifted with a Gift so rare and sacred, sometimes feared by others.

__

_ : It's what we call the White Spirit. Harry has the gift of Illusion, and the power to Create and Destroy, :_ Fenix spoke softly into their minds, her eyes looking deeply into Harry's deep emerald eyes. _: Your life will get harder, Harry. I hope you had seen… :_

Harry chuckled when Fenix began to lecture him. _: Fenix, I know… what having these powers mean… and believe me, I understand the dangers of possessing the power to create and destroy. I might get tempted to be a second Voldemort-want-to-be. : _The smile Harry gave the Fire Master and his oathbrother was ill suited for a boy of only sixteen years in age.

Fenix hugged both of them, and tiptoed to give Harry a kiss on his cheek. _: That's good then. And do you know how we might send the Heliopaths back to where they belong? :_ she asked, looking slyly at him.

__

_ : You're cheating, : _both boys answered her and ended up in chuckles when she gave a snort.

__

_ : Why not? That's probably why your Gifts manifested, : _she said loftily before summoning the rest back into the Hall. Fenix eyed the room critically then snapped her fingers when she realized that she had to give something back to Harry._ : Hey, take this back. I don't need it. : _Fenix established a mind-link and began pouring the energy that she had confiscated, back to him. The students of Hogwarts peered apprehensively at the door and their faces lit up into smiles when they saw that everything was all right. The godfathers and Fenix's partner made their way and were the first to reach them, and all three were given anxious hugs.

__

_ : Somehow I think my life had gotten far too interesting than I could handle, :_ Draco remarked privately to Harry and the Fire Master. His mindvoice was tinged with embarrassment, shock and bafflement as the Potions Master gave him a tight hug.

__

_ : I couldn't agree more, : _Harry answered, gasping for air as Sirius gave him a one tight hug. The School crowded about the boy who had suddenly went berserk in his sleep, faces demanding an explanation and Harry sighed, looking apologetically to the crowd.

"Really Harry," a Hufflepuff spoke up, "next time you want to do something like this, do it when you're alone."

"Forget it," one Ravenclaw piped up. "What's gotten into you?"

The Hall was filled with questions and Harry's magnified voice as he apologized profusely to them and just told them that something that was supposed to happen had happened and left it at that.

"You're evading our questions!" one Slytherin remarked.

"The less you know what had happened, the better off you would be. Maybe when you're older, I will tell you. Don't forget to give me your addresses though," Harry said flippantly, though his eyes signaled the Headmaster that he would give a clearer explanation, when he could.

"Okay, to pacify your intense curiosity," Fenix said lightly. "Harry had suddenly come up with another Gift that would help us in stopping Heliopaths. Okay?" Comprehension dawned on their faces and they stopped asking questions. While the rest of the students began to pick up their blankets and rearranged their beds, Harry's company walked out of the Hall to gather in Dumbledore's office so Harry could fulfill his promise in giving a clearer explanation.

**********  
  



	57. The White Spirit

**~ Chapter 57: The White Spirit ~**

**In Dumbledore's office…**

Harry was made to sit directly in front of the Headmaster, much to his discomfort. The office was a little crowded by the usual four, Ron, Hermione, and Draco. McGonagall had been waiting for them in the office, along with Moody. The elves were helping to restore the unconscious Elementals with the house-elves helping them. The Slytherin casually grabbed a stool and remained in the sidelines, watching the Headmaster and his oathbrother with curious eyes, waiting for somebody to speak. 

"So… Harry," Dumbledore began, clasping his hands on the table and leaned forward slightly, "what has happened to you?" Snape conjured up a couch and Fenix and the rest took advantage of the furniture, rather than listening to Harry giving an account of what had happened while standing up. 

The boy shifted uneasily in his seat and started describing of what had happened from the moment that he fell asleep. The room was heated nicely with the fire in the fireplace, and Harry jumped when a pop came out of it, startling him briefly before continuing his sentence. "Then I think I screamed… there were a lot of things that I saw. And I'm sorry that I turned hostile on you." Harry turned in his chair to look at the Fire Master. 

__

_ : Don't worry about it, lad. However, I am seriously insulted that you mistook me as Voldemort. He is not a female after all, :_ she said rather lightly, looking at him quizzically when his mouth gaped open. 

"How did you know?" he questioned her; his voice was almost tinged with hysteria. 

__

_ : She's an Empath, idiot! : _Draco stepped in, earning himself a glare from the older boy from his slightly offensive term. Dumbledore cleared his throat and Harry looked slightly abashed and went on with his explanation. 

"Well, I remembered seeing Drake looking at me, but I was also receiving instructions." Harry took a deep breath. "No one could teach me how to use the Gifts… not even Fenix." He was looking uncertainly at the Headmaster, clearly uncertain of his words. He finally tapped his forehead. "Whatever I need to know is already inside here; it just needs a little more time for me to process all of it." 

Snape was about to comment about Harry's slightly arrogant sentence when Fenix gave him a sharp pinch. _: That's because it is true. :_ Even his godson agreed with the Fire Master, and Snape grudgingly kept his mouth shut. The silence that had suddenly descended in the office became oppressive until it was broken by the Fawkes's flight across the room and landed gently on Dumbledore's shoulders. 

"As Fenix had mentioned to me and Drake, I possess the gift of the White Spirit." Harry paused when all of them looked at him in bafflement except for the Elven Lord and the two Ancients in the room. 

"Skip that," Fenix suggested and looked archly at Sirius who was about to protest. "Bro, even if _I_ were to explain, you would not understand it." 

"Not for a few years anyway. I think we would have time for that when you are ready for your retirement," Draco added impudently, earning several glares from the slightly older folk in the office, but he was clearly unaffected by their sour looks. 

Harry regained their attention again. "To simplify it, as Fenix had done just now, I have the power of Illusion, Creation and Destruction. The incident that had just happened about half an hour ago was another gift, which is caused by a series of things. Voldemort's backlash, Fenix's instructions in mindshielding, and the power to control magical fields all around me." 

"By that, he seriously means that he is able to control the earth energy," Fenix supplied as she braided her hair. "And if you had noticed," she was looking at Mineif as she said this, "his Power is definitely strong, probably because of the fact that he had actually amplified the Power when he thought he was facing Voldemort." 

Harry suddenly gave a rueful smile at his godfather. "Maybe the next time something strange happens to me, I should not think of an enemy straight away. I noticed that the results were quite disastrous every time I think about it that way." 

__

_ : I am absolutely glad that you finally noticed it, Harry. :_ Sirius grinned. 

"And the Power of Destruction?" Dumbledore asked mildly. 

"But should you not question about the Power of Creation, first? Compared to all of my other Gifts, isn't this the more hazardous power?" Harry pointed out. Dumbledore's eyes flared a little in surprise, then turned pensive. "Don't worry about those. As long as those two and Someone are around, I don't think they'll let me take the wrong path." He sighed. 

"How do you mean by the Power of Creation?" Dumbledore asked tiredly. 

The young wizard gazed at the Headmaster for a long time before summoning his power. The room flared brightly with white light as Harry concentrated on something in his hand. The light died, and the room returned to its normal setting. The boy lifted a dark emerald crystal and placed it carefully on the Headmaster's desk. "Heard that you were in need of a big emerald for some sort of spellcasting," he said calmly. 

"Harry used the earth energy all around him to invest in creating that stone. Rather apt actually, since you need the stone to cast a protection spell for the castle and its environments," the Fire Master mused. _: Use it wisely. :_

__

_ : Don't worry. I think if I was to create something, I would rather create an inanimate object than a living or thinking being. But absolutely nothing like that Philosopher's stone. : _Harry's eyes twinkled, then mercurially hardened as he looked back at her and she nodded in approval. He faced Dumbledore again. The ancient wizard was toying with the crystal, holding it up against the firelight occasionally. "Now that I think about it, if I was just a little more uncontrolled and unstable just now, those waves of energy could be infused with my gift of destroying things. And…" Harry faltered, his eyes going distant. 

"That you might have to use that gift to eliminate the Heliopaths?" Snape hazarded an idea. Harry slumped in his seat and nodded remorsefully. 

"It's not the real Heliopaths that I'm worried about. It's the ones that had evolved," he said in a despondent tone. They remained silent and Harry gave another sigh then continued in a more cheerful tone. "I was really losing my grip on what was real and what was not. Drake solved that for me. He rushed at me; he even got through the shield and then he turned black." 

"I did _not _turn black!" his oathbrother said in exasperation and Fenix suppressed her mirth. Harry looked at them inquisitively and the Slytherin explained in a rather heated voice. "I turned into a Dragon, you nitwit!" 

"Oh… _What?_" Several others echoed Harry's question.   
  
"I successfully turned myself into a Dragon," Draco answered in a bored voice. His eyes went wide when a thought occurred to him._ : I wonder if I can fly. :_ He looked intently at Fenix who chuckled lightly. 

__

_ : Later, Drake… or maybe tomorrow, :_ she said, her mindvoice brushed softly in his mind. 

__

_ : Just as long you promise not to keep the joy to yourself though. : _Draco's mindvoice was rather excited at the prospect of flying. That seemed to conclude the discussion and Fenix was secretly relieved that none of them were looking at Harry with fear. 

__

_ : So what do we do now? : _Harry asked, as they walked down to the Hall. 

__

_ : Sleep of course. That's the only way you get to finish your education. : _Fenix shrugged, holding Remus's hand as they strolled leisurely. The ghosts of Hogwarts drifted in and out of the corridors and Harry turned his thoughts inward. 

__

_ Build a school… Looks like I have to really work hard so that I have enough money to get a plot of land. And how do I get the money? Should I become a jewel merchant? _He mused and found himself laughing at the thought. His godfather opened his mouth to speak to his godson, but decided against it when he watched Harry. 

__

_ : You're being very observant. Yes, he is thinking about the future, so leave it to him all right? : _Fenix sent her thought to him. 

__

_ : That somehow makes me feel better. So, he decided he should continue living in the future… I wonder what plans he is making. :_ Sirius gave her a charming smile. 

__

_ : Probably planning on how he should get funds to build up a school, :_ Remus interjected. 

__

_ : He could always extort money from you. : _Snape directed his thought at Sirius and the corridor was suddenly filled with chuckles at Sirius's appalled expression. Harry looked at the group in confusion. 

__

_ : What? :_

__

_ : It's nothing, Green-eyes, :_ Draco answered, his mindvoice was almost jumping up and down as he tried to control his mirth. Harry frowned at him and then looked at his godfather. They burst into laughter again, and both Sirius and Harry scowled at them in the same way that one could really mistake them for a pair of father and his son. 

**********  


Monday, 12th November. At the Hall…

Breakfast was a hurried affair that morning, since Dumbledore had selected some of them to cast spells that would protect the Forest from catching fire. Some scoffed that the Forbidden Forest was unlikely to catch fire on a very damp morning. However, since information on how the Heliopaths worked was still unknown, now that they had evolved, the Headmaster did not want to be responsible for the lives of those that considered the Forest as their natural home. 

Fenix looked thoughtfully at Harry as she ate her cereal and he finally could not stand her silent scrutiny any longer. _: Fenix, could you please stop staring at me when you're thinking? Couldn't you look at something more inanimate rather than my face? :_ he requested politely, smiling crookedly at her when she flushed. 

__

_ : Sorry, Harry, : _she apologized. :_ Are you sure that the Heliopaths have hearts? :_

__

_ : I wouldn't really call it hearts. More or less like their fuel tank, :_ Harry corrected as he gulped a full glass of milk. He had delved through his new-founded knowledge for two straight nights and finally came up with the answer. 

__

_ : I wonder why I'm asking this. You're the one in charge of 'demoralizing' the Heliopaths anyway. : _She made a face and he chuckled at her expression. 

__

_ : Morning, : _he greeted his oathbrother who had just entered the Hall for breakfast. The Slytherin casually strolled over to the Gryffindor table first to greet them and actually absently kissed all three ladies on their cheeks-- Hermione, Ginny and Fenix-- all which were sitting side by side. _: Drake, I think you're going to make more than three people jealous, :_ Harry commented, as he peeked at the Slytherin table, where Alamanda was looking at them quizzically. The three ladies who had just been bestowed with kisses early in the morning started giggling, especially when all three turned to look how Ron was reacting to the 'brotherly' kiss. 

"I swear I would go mad if this guy in front of me," the scarlet-haired Weasley was gazing patiently at the Potions Master, "starts giving kisses to the girls." 

"Oh, now… that's a pleasant thought," Hermione said teasingly at both the teacher sitting beside her and her indignant partner. The three erupted with more giggles, with Fenix laughing so hard at Snape's flushed and embarrassed face. Lee, who happened to overhear the conversation came up to the Potions Master with a serious look about him. 

"Professor Snape," Lee cleared his throat, then continued, "I wonder… if you had ever kissed anyone before in your youth?" If it were possible, Snape would have turned absolutely crimson at the question. The entire Hall guffawed at the shocked professor, when his innocent expression told all of them that he had not been devoting himself to anything like that. Sirius and Harry almost simultaneous fell off from their seats as they collapsed in laughter. 

__

_ : Sev! : _Fenix was wiping the tears that came out from the exertion._ : Seriously, you haven't been kissed? Or kissed anyone? : _The Potions Master scowled at all of them. 

__

_ : No, I have not. :_ His mindvoice was thick with dignity. 

__

_ : Who would have thought that you're still a v-- :_

__

_ : Finish that thought Sirius, and I will kill you, :_ Snape threatened, holding his wand out, his face still blushing hotly. 

The Fire Master choked down her laughter and stared curiously at Snape._ : But I thought you and Giana… :_

Snape shook his head, looking sternly at her and resumed to eating his breakfast. _: I've got too much respect for Mineif to do that to his daughter. Anyway, that was a long time ago. :_

Harry helped Sirius to his seat on the bench; his godfather was still laughing insultingly. _: Do you want us to find you a girlfriend, Snivellus? :_

Snape snorted and one fireball shot past his ear to hit Sirius's chest. _"Owww!"_ He shot a dirty look at Snape's godson who was hovering behind his godfather's shoulder._ : You're lucky you're Sniv-- :_ His thought was cut off as Fenix aimed a mindslap at him, who was looking at her oathbrother with disapproval. Sirius winced and rubbed his temple before he continued his sentence._ : You're lucky you're Severus's godson or I would really inflict some permanent damage on you, : _Harry's godfather said seriously. Draco muttered something under his breath and went off to the Slytherin table to join his friends for breakfast. Both Harry and Fenix were hiding their smiles at Sirius's subtle implication. Hermione's alert went off when she caught both of them exchanging winks but was her curiosity was left unanswered. 

Breakfast resumed without further interruptions and the air took on a more anxious setting. The students wandered off to all parts of the castle to practice or spend sometime doing the stuff they had not gotten around to do for the past few days ever since the attack during Hallowe'en night. Sirius looked solemnly at those who were appointed to go into the Forest with them. They had been gathering about the Gryffindor table when they had finished their breakfasts.

"I want you to do a bit of exercise or whatever to get yourselves calmed down before we go into the Forest. We could not afford any of you to go in there with blurred thinking. You know that the Forest is home to all kinds of things. We probably won't have trouble with the Thestrals but we do have a Hellhound running about. And stay close to the elves, especially your leaders that had been assigned to your groups, is that clear?" Sirius looked at the faces of determined students from all of the four Houses. 

"Report here at nine-thirty sharp," Snape announced, looking briefly at his pocket watch. He then got up to change into something more appropriate for outdoor trekking and the rest of the students began to clear out of the Hall to change. 

Fenix and Remus were slightly behind Snape as they headed up to their offices and she could not help wondering what the students were feeling, living in a precarious time such as they were. They had a maximum of five hours to finish their spellcasting in the Forest since the Sylphs reported that there were two clans of giants heading their way, at a not-so leisurely pace. The army of Heliopaths was still unseen nor were the Death Eaters moving out of their stronghold. 

The couple lagged behind Sirius, after Snape went into his own office and she pulled Remus down, quickly scanning the corridor before stealing a kiss. _: I'll see you later, lover. : _He hugged her briefly and she went into her own room. She and the wolves entered the office, looking around at the sunny room. The quarters strangely reminded her of her own home and she took a moment to stand outside the window, feeling the soothing breeze upon her face. _No… silly girl. Don't think of anything ominous right before a skirmish. : I am sorry that you guys have to be left behind. :_ She looked down at her pair of wolves. Silver shook his mane. 

__

_ : There's nothing that we could do for you out there in the Forest. We're likely to get trampled by the passing giants before we could attempt to hamstring them anyway, : _Wind assured her. _: Anyway, we're better off protecting the rest of the students here. :_ Fenix turned back to the window, her eyes scanning the dark canopy of the Forest. There was a kind of tension in her but it was normal, she was just getting ready to fight. 

__

_ : Though, try not to show all your tricks all at once though, :_ Silver said thoughtfully and she had to smile at his advice. 

__

_ : Don't worry, Silv. I am going to do it the old, reliable, Hunter way. :_

__

_ : Should have expected it. She's bloodthirsty enough, : _Wind observed. 

__

_ : I don't think so. :_ Silver examined Fenix casually as she stripped herself to bathe. _: I think she's just bored. :_

**********

Harry and his friends froze at the portrait that would lead them to their common room. However, none of them seemed to have remembered what their password was, since they have not been to their common room for quite a while now. The passage was getting crowded and Ron yelled out if anyone remembered the password. Lee and a couple of the Gryffindors were rattling off a series of names but the Fat Lady refused to swing open. 

"Just great." Ginny sighed. "I guess someone ought to run down and ask Professor McGonagall." 

"So it's not the 'Silver Wheel'." Harry frowned. "I remembered that it had something to do with Hallowe'en." All eyes turned to Hermione and she looked at them in disgust. The students began rattling off again with Hermione being the loudest. Still, none of the words was the right password. He moved toward the front and said clearly to them, "I'm just guessing all right, if this doesn't work then someone absolutely has to go down and ask McGonagall. _Persephone_," he said to the Fat Lady and to their surprise, she swung her portrait open. 

Hermione gave him a surprised look then went in. By the time Harry got into the common room, his friend was pinning up a large notice on the notice board of their current password, all the time muttering under her breath that they ought not to change the password too often. "See you girls… here?" Harry asked his friend and she nodded, then pulled Ron up the staircase to go to their dormitory. 

"What do you think we should wear?" Neville asked. Months of running all around the Hall or courtyard during the Defence lessons had seen him losing a bit of a weight. 

"Dull colors… no red." Harry was looking at his best friend. "No robes." 

"Bloody hell… Harry, you know I don't have anything else except red." Ron looked over his shoulder as he opened the door to admit all his roommates in. 

"Since the bathroom will be crowded anyway… let's see if we can conjure up something suitable to wear." Harry pursed his lips. He opened his trunk and fished out several of his shirts. 

"At least our trousers are all black," Seamus remarked and they agreed with him. Ron was examining his pile of shirts and sweaters when the room flared brightly and in an instant, it dimmed. Ron shook his head and stood up. 

"What are you up to?" he asked and Harry flung a black shirt toward him. "Bloody hell!" His friend had created a shirt specifically for him. The four boys got out of their bedroom with toiletries in hand and queued up behind their fellow students, Ron whistling patiently for his turn to shower. 

**********

Fenix was out in the courtyard meditating with a whole circle of elves and was joined later by the three bachelors. Curious students paused over at the side door wondering what the group was up to, while several girls went over to watch them, exchanging whispers on which elf was handsomer or how gorgeous the Potions Master turned out. A pocket watch suddenly screeched out of Sirius's pocket. _"NINE-FIFTEEN!"_

Several of the elves cursed, then began laughing melodiously. They got up to their feet and headed for the Hall. Aldren and at least half of the group of elves meanwhile went down to the sub-levels to get their weapons that had been stored away temporarily. The students who had been lingering in the Hall, looked curiously at the Fire Master and as if they had never seen her in her severe dark Hunter garb before, they whispered as they commented on how dangerous she actually looked. Their eyes picked out the several small knives that were tucked in at her upper arms and felt that she still had several more hidden.

Snape's mouth curved into a sardonic smile, while Fenix gave a sidelong glance at the amused Potions Master, but otherwise remained silent. A brief inspection informed her that Harry's group was already there, and all seated in a circle. She noticed a familiar figure, but could not put a name to the student who was seating in between Harry and Montague. 

"Dear Gods!" Fenix paused, stopping only a few feet from Harry's group. 

"Am I in trouble already?" Harry sighed, while Hermione and Ginny snickered. 

"Fenix?" Remus questioned her curiously. "What happened?" 

"This…is what…happened!" Fenix was pointing to the unnamed student. A pair of familiar silver eyes turned around and looked at the bunch of adults, twinkling outrageously. 

"Dear Lord!" Snape exclaimed in disbelief. 

"What's up with the hair?" Sirius commented, admiring the strange contrast of the jet-black hair and the boy's pale complexion. 

__

_ : Contingency planning. My white-blond hair does stand out after all, : _Draco said indifferently. 

__

_ : Harry, are you absolutely sure you cast an _illusion _of black hair? Not inducing the coloration pigments? :_ Fenix asked the older oathbrother patiently then bit her lip worriedly when he gave her a blank look. 

"Alamanda dear," Fenix called out to Draco's sweetheart. "I hope you don't mind if this guy happened to have his hair colored permanently." The young girl's eyes went wide and stared accusingly at Harry. 

"Hey! I like his hair color!" She huffed and Harry gave her a guilty look. He turned to his oathbrother, as if expecting the other one to start calling him names but Draco was looking at his girlfriend and oathbrother with controlled patience. 

"I don't mind if this was to last," he said quietly and Alamanda looked at him in surprise. The Hall grew uncomfortably silent when most of them finally began to realize that Draco's shunning by his blood parents was still hurting him. 

"But then…" Remus bravely broke the silence, looking to Draco then to his fiancee. "You get to look like her… a bit too much." Sirius choked the laughter that threatened to explode. "Well, if it couldn't be helped… there's nothing I could do about it but don't go out and tan yourself." 

Harry's godfather took out his pocket watch and left it with Alamanda, since she would not be going out to the Forest with them. The rest followed suit because they do not think that screeching watches would do them any good while they were out in an almost hostile ground. The elves finally arrived with their basket full of arrows and bows. While Cadriel was distributing out the archery stuff, Aldren beckoned to Remus, Sirius, Snape and their godsons and handed them their throwing knives that had been designed for them, all courtesy of the elves. The elves had no qualms of giving them weaponry that was sorely meant for the Fair Ones, because the five were considered 'special'. They knew how to use them, having practiced with the bunch of elves that turned up on Hallowe'en night. Fenix retrieved her bow the elves had brought with them; as if Cadriel knew that she might need it. This was a birthday gift by her mentor nearly a decade ago, and she trailed her fingers on the whitewashed wood fondly. She began to stuff her quiver full of the silver, slender arrows. The group made out of the students from the three divisions: Assailants, Defenders and the Rearguards, and ten elves were finally ready for action. 

**********   



	58. Unwanted Distractions

**~ Chapter 58: Unwanted Distractions ~**

**Dumbledore's office…**

A total of twenty-six people was assigned to go into the Forbidden Forest, and were divided into groups of five. It had been decided the night before that the group leaders would be Sirius, Snape, Remus, Jaheera and Aldren. Each of these groups held the respective sorcerer or sorceress that was responsible in creating the most complex anti-flammable spells about the Forest, starting from the trail that had been previously used by the deceased Golgomath and the rest of his giants. 

The Headmaster had seen to the major task of blocking Voldemort from scrying on the castle and the surrounding environment-- especially the Forest-- with the help of Harry's crystal, his older brother that had returned earlier yesterday, the Elven Lord and some of the teaching staff of Hogwarts. They had been working on it nonstop ever since Dumbledore's elder brother had returned to the School and by the time they had finally succeeded in launching their newly-wrought spells, it was already close to midnight. It is with their advantage that the Dark Lord still had not gained any information relating to the Fair Ones since each time his spies nearly came close in ferreting out the truth, the Elementals unscrupulously tampered with their memories. As Aelwyn had informed them, Voldemort seemed to be delighting in throwing off more tantrums each time that happened. 

The Headmaster was waiting patiently for the first signs of Voldemort's nonhuman followers, sitting comfortably in his armchair, fondly scratching Fawkes's crest while he stared blankly across his desk. His eyes rested on the emerald stone, where its heart flickered with magical energy. Aberforth was silent, as he leaned against the wall, looking out of the window. There was a task that was in need of fulfillment but could not begin until Voldemort's creatures were fully engaged with those that had went out of the castle. 

As the twenty-six people began trooping out to the castle grounds in silence, twelve people from various wizarding worlds came to Hogwarts via the lake. Eight of them were assorted Aurors or members of the Order, while four held the reputation of being the most talented and devious witches and wizards. They were severely inspected by Moody and the Elementals before finally admitting them entry to the castle of Hogwarts. They silently went straight to Dumbledore's office, oblivious to the surreptitious glances from the students. The students exchanged speculative looks, somehow getting the feeling that their Headmaster was up to something important. 

They finally reached the Headmaster's office and Moody gave the password and stepped aside to let the group in. Among the new company, there was one wizard who was far older and eccentric compared to the grim-faced Aberforth, who began smoking as soon as he was offered a seat. "_She _is out there, isn't she?" the white-haired wizard-- looking so much like a keeper of a bookstore, which he was-- spoke up as he exhaled. Dumbledore nodded gravely and the stranger's abrupt question seemed to puzzle the rest of the company that was with him. "I guess I just have to keep on breathing and sane if I want to meet her," he sighed. 

"Does Cornelius know that you're here, Amelia?" Dumbledore inquired mildly and she snorted disdainfully as she shook her head. 

"All of us are ready for action, Dumbledore," Reef informed him and the Headmaster nodded approvingly. A slight sound came from the entrance and Charlie slipped in, his eyes shining brightly with excitement. 

"What do we do now, Wulf?" the oldest wizard inquired, politely declining a glass of wine that Aberforth had poured for him. 

"We wait, Julian," Dumbledore answered calmly, "we will wait before we move out to the lake and Apparate from there." 

"Zis is truly impossible, Dumbly-Dorr. I did not 'spect the students to take part in zis nonsensical war willingly," Madam Maxime rumbled deeply. 

"But it is through our failure in stopping Voldemort that the youngsters are involving themselves in this," a balding wizard said softly. 

"Too true," one Auror replied.   
  
"You do know where to go, don't you?" Julian Mingleweeve asked Madam Maxime timidly and she gave a tight nod. He slowly let out a pensive sigh, then settled back in his armchair and waited patiently for Dumbledore to give the signal. 

"I guess that the time has come to inform Voldemort that we seriously don't want to share our living space with him," a witch with completely white hair that ended up in a strict bun, spoke up. 

"Don't sound so confident, Michelle," Aberforth advised. 

"Huh!" She stared at him in an unfriendly manner. "Too bad for Voldemort, but I am in the mood to live for a few more decades before I go for a permanent vacation." 

"Ambitious, are we?" Julian commented lightly. 

"You tell me. You're reaching your hundred and fifty-six years soon, so why can't I at least aspire to live that long?" she asked almost sullenly. 

The oldest wizard winced as Aberforth chuckled. "You didn't have to really specify that." He looked at the witch named Michelle with a pained expression. 

"Too late." Dumbledore's lips quivered with amusement. "But you should not really think about _that _that way," he said, gazing solemnly at the witch. 

"I _knew _you would find something wrong with that sentence, but I assure you, Wulf, that I certainly don't really want to achieve immortality. I think by the time I hit hundred and twenty, there would be at least twenty percent of you suggesting that I go for face-lifts or something like that." 

Light chuckles filled the room and they fell into a comfortable silence, waiting for their enemy to make his first move. 

**********

****

**Deep in the Dark Forest…**

The five groups had Translocated themselves to their respective checkpoints. Sirius's group was given the center point since Harry was the only suitable choice in creating the core of the anti-flammable spell, due to his newfound ability that allowed him to cast spells over a fairly large area. Yesterday however, Harry argued about his inexperience and self-doubts and requested the Fire Master to handle it. Fenix just looked at him quizzically and Draco took it upon himself to enlighten his oathbrother. 

__

_ : Don't you have any common sense? You can't really expect us to fight fire with fire, don't you? : _His oathbrother looked at him impatiently and Harry flushed with embarrassment. _: Glad that you understand the situation. :_

Aldren's group made up of Fenix, Aelwen, Neville and Seamus, found themselves overlooking an area of the Forest where trees had been felled or trampled while Remus's group Translocated several meters ahead of them. This particular group separated and while the humans began to deftly climb the trees that had been assigned to them to keep watch, Sieghart, an Elven mage and his counterpart stayed on the ground to initialize the spellcasting. 

All the other groups were in position except for the groups led by Sirius and Snape. They had found themselves Translocated to their places and it just happened that the band of centaurs was there. Naturally, the centaurs thought they were under attack and loosed their ever-ready arrows at the humans. Thanks to advanced planning, they had gone in with their shields and the arrows clattered uselessly onto the ground. The centaurs growled menacingly and Sirius spoke to them firmly that it was not their intention to pick a fight with them but Bane ignored his words, advancing threateningly toward where Harry was standing. The rest of the centaurs milled about aimlessly, kicking up their hooves. Tempers flared as the vibrations of the centaurs' movement began to react with the trappings that had been set five days ago. 

"Leave," Horien, an Elven warrior commanded firmly. 

__

_ : Sir, : _Harry sent a thought to the elf, _: I think the trappings are about to go off. :_

__

_ : Damn it! Green-Eyes! Don't just stand there! : _A ray of sunlight pierced through the canopy of the Forest and lit Draco's silver eyes directly. 

__

_ : The situation can't be helped. :_ Snape's eyes narrowed and a centaur went down when it tried to ram against a shield that was protecting the Potions Master's group._ : Do what you have to-- I'll inform the rest, :_ he said to Harry and Snape withdrew the mind-link from the boy to inform the other three groups of the setback. 

**********

__

_ : Blast it! : _Fenix cursed and she exchanged a look with Aldren. She snapped her head up suddenly and sniffed at the air. Her suspicions were confirmed when Remus sent a frantic thought. _: Dear Gods! Hellhound coming your way, bro! Sieghart! Nigel! Abort now! :_

The elves in her group were the first to hear the three-headed giant dog maneuver its way through the ancient trees and undergrowth. As practiced in a drill, the elves snatched Neville and Seamus quickly and immediately transformed themselves into inconspicuous trees among others that had not been damaged by Voldemort's giants. By doing so, they had successfully eliminated their trail and scent. 

Taking full advantage of her gifts, she turned into a wolf and loped forward to the area where she had scented the three-headed dog. She was also communicating with the groups that were under Remus and Jaheera, and gave a tremendous sigh when they were well out of harm's way for now, both from the centaurs and the Hellhound. She slowed down her paces and began slinking on the ground quietly. 

Back to the area where her oathbrother and Snape unwittingly cornered the centaurs, they were trying hard to get the hoofed-ones _and_ themselves out of the trap-spells before it gets activated. Harry and Cyfel were sweating profusely as they began to take down the spells at a disastrous pace. 

__

_ : Do you need our help, Severus? : _Remus's mindvoice echoed dimly in the Potions Master's mind. 

__

_ : Don't get yourself into trouble, werewolf. Fenix gave you specific instructions to remain where you are. :_ Snape struggled to keep his temper when the centaurs began firing off arrows. 

__

_ : He's right, :_ Sirius sent his opinion. _: Shoot! :_ The last descendant of the Black family was totally caught by surprise when three of the centaurs turned around and their hooves gave off sparks when they hit his shield. Although he was physically unharmed, the same could not be said of his mind. Bells were ringing inside his head, and he was momentarily dazed by the impact. Draco saw Harry's godfather sank to his knees, clutching his aching head. He bit at his lower lip, and thought deeply, then nodded to himself in resolution. He vanished. 

__

_ : Draco! :_ Snape shouted, abandoning his attempt to drive Magorian away and signaled Warrington and Montague to guard Harry and Cyfel from interruptions. He and Rendierr warded off the three centaurs away from Sirius, since the Black's own members: Hermione and Aderyn were dueling with Bane and two others intensely_. At least the two of them managed to back the centaurs toward the safe area._ Snape pulled Sirius up to his feet, relieved when the man began to pull away from his hold. 

__

_ : Do you see that lone yew tree at Sirius's left? :_ Draco's thought penetrated through their minds. Hermione's eyes went wide when she heard his voice; it sounded nearly as ticklish when Snape first communicated in their minds. 

__

_ : What are you up to? :_ his oathbrother managed to ask while concentrating to release the trap-spells. 

__

_ : Trust me. Herd the centaurs there, :_ was all the Slytherin said before releasing the mind-link. 

__

_ : If we could before we get trapped. :_ Harry's godfather scoffed. _: I wonder what your godson is thinking, Severus. There's at least-- :_ he paused to count the herd members, _: eighteen of them. And we only have what… eight people free to take them on? : _He looked penetratingly at the Potions Master. 

**********

Fluffy had paused, sniffing the ground. One head lifted and it seemed to stare right through the foliage where Fenix skulked. Then two more pairs of eyes stared at her. _"Fluffy!"_ a voice suddenly ripped the wary silence. Heavy footsteps followed and Fenix's wolfish eyes stared in surprise when a giant, approximately sixteen feet in length, holding a huge club in one hand carefully emerged into the clearing. The Hellhound made an inquiring noise at the back of its throats and the giant answered by making a few gutturals. Three snouts then pointed at the dense foliage where Fenix lay hidden and the giant stared stupidly at it. The giant and the Hellhound communicated again and finally, the three-headed dog got to its feet and walked off slowly. Miraculously, it was heading to an area that was so inaccessible that Fenix and the rest did not bother to scout. 

"Soorrry. Dog not bother anymore…" the giant spoke haltingly, staring timidly at the green foliage before he followed the immense dog. Fenix blinked her eyes in surprise. Aelwen and Aldren returned and both boys that had been turned into trees suddenly exploded, muttering off curses. The Fire Master crept out of hiding and ran off to where her group was. 

__

_ : Fenix, remind me to give Hagrid a few strangles when we return to peaceful times, :_ said Remus, and to no one's surprise, Ron was thinking along the same lines. 

__

_ : We have to delay in the spellcasting, :_ Sieghart spoke. _: The centaurs would only pose as serious distractions if we do not remove them and relocate them into another area. : _

_ : It seems that Draco has a plan. Why don't we regroup then start all over again? :_ Remus suggested and she sighed. 

__

_ : Let's go then, :_ she said tiredly, and the two boys controlled their tongues as she began their Translocation. 

**********

__

_ : I wish they would hurry! :_ Sirius muttered impatiently. _"Impedimenta!"_ he shouted and quickly moved away from a centaur's lunge. Warrington and Montague left the two casters to help the rest lead the centaurs to the general area of the yew tree. Finally, their backup arrived. Snape left Fenix to handle Magorian and concentrated on the others. 

"I sincerely apologize," Fenix spoke to a nonplussed Magorian who had suddenly found himself floating several feet from the ground toward the area that Draco had pointed out. The rest paused to watch the struggling centaur and Hermione narrowed her eyes in speculation. 

"Ron," she called out dreamily and her partner hurried to her side, with Luna close behind him. "At the count of three," she tapped her wand on her palm and after the second tap, the three of them shouted. _"Wingardium leviosa!" _

_ : Better hurry up! :_ Harry's mindvoice sounded a little strained. _Dragon's teeth! : Cyfel! : _He sent a panicked thought. 

_ : Don't panic! :_ the elf advised, his brow damp with sweat. Being so close to the boy, he was able to hear Harry clench his jaw tightly. _: This is it! On my mark! : _Both of them raised their hands slowly. 

Bane's eyes widened when he saw Magorian suddenly disappeared when he reached the area that Draco had suggested. "Retreat!" he shouted, but saw Snape shaking his head. 

"We can't let you do that." 

Bane and several of his warriors found themselves entangled in the Levitation spell. They heard a loud crack as Cyfel and Harry managed to stop the trap spells in time. Thirty-minutes passed and the students collapsed against each other when they finally saw the last of the centaur warriors disappear. Draco materialized out of the thin air, startling his godfather and got slapped with a spell. 

_ : It's only me! :_ his godson yelled and Snape cursed at his godson's impudence. The Slytherin blanched at the Potions Master's strong words and gulped, keeping mute until his godfather ran out of expletives. 

"I think your godfather had summed up your casualness pretty well," Aelwen spoke calmly. 

"Drake," his oathbrother spoke up in a worried voice, "where on earth have you sent the centaurs to?" 

"Where the rest of their herd is," the Slytherin shrugged. "There's nothing wrong in sending them there, right?" He gave a hard look at the Potions Master. 

"Now we would have to deal with the rest of the herd… maybe all of them later!" his godfather answered angrily. 

_ : Do I look that stupid? :_ Draco asked Snape privately. Although his face and eyes showed unruffled calm, his godfather managed to sense that he had gravely hurt the boy from the thought that Draco shared with him. "I gave the centaurs careful instructions to stay and not go out to wander in the Forest today and to ignore what the young centaurs had to say about their brief encounter with us. They were sorely surprised when they found that the words actually came from a dragon," he explained in a quiet voice. 

"But how can you really confirm that the centaurs will stay out of our hair?" Ron argued. 

"Surely you did not threaten them?" Hermione gasped, and Draco gave a long sigh. 

"There's at least three other dominant centaurs within the herd who understand what we're trying to do. _They_ will keep Bane and his followers within their protective enclosure. If they can't do it, that's just too bad," he shrugged, totally ignoring the Potions Master and followed Rendierr to check up on a good spot where they could begin casting their spells. Snape looked at his godson, regret clearly showing on his face.

Sirius was just about to remark on Snape's blunder when Fenix and Harry gave him warning looks. He sighed then examined his godson. _: Do you think you can continue? You have used your powers extensively. : _

_ : I don't think I've used that much power, Sirius, :_ he replied, then turned to his friends. "If you have rested enough, I think it's wise for us to get moving." He looked inquisitively at the Fire Master who seemed to be discussing something with someone. 

"It's eleven forty-eight now, and we've got less than two hours to work on the spell. Dumbledore's very worried about the Heliopaths, and he thinks that we would not be seeing any Death Eaters or Voldemort today," she informed them of the news that was being reported by Krill. 

"The giants can't really move that fast!" Neville frowned and most nodded their heads in agreement. 

"Hard to believe, isn't it? But the truth is, they certainly will reach the edge of the Forest in approximately ninety minutes," she concurred and pursed her lips. "Time doesn't seem to help us…" 

"Then we've got no time to lose," Ginny said, as Dean helped her up. 

**********

At Dumbledore's office… 

The setting had changed from a functional office to a more mundane environment. The house-elves were busily sending up dishes from the kitchen and placing them laboriously on the huge dining table. 

Dumbledore and several others were fretting over their cups of wine. His elder brother and Julian were trying to reassure him the groups inside the forest would complete their task on time, and probably will also have time to get a rest before they plunge head on into the giants and the still-evasive army of Heliopaths. 

"You can't really expect things to go your way all the time," Julian said sagaciously. 

"Don't worry too much about them," Aberforth spoke. "They know what they absolutely have to do." 

"'Zis would be really a miracle if ze kids manage to get out of ze Forest alive."

"Stop that, Olly," Michelle spoke in a disapproving tone. "We should have faith in those brave kids." She leaned forward. "You do want them to come out alive and well, don't you?" The Headmistress of Beauxbaton Academy gave a heavy sigh, her eyes suddenly misting over. "Oh dear…" Michelle looked guiltily around the table. 

**********   



	59. Hogwarts's First Sortie

**~ Chapter 59: Hogwarts's First Sortie ~**

**In the Forbidden Forest. Exactly seventy minutes later…**

Harry collapsed against Cyfel tiredly. _Casting this spell took out more of me than I had expected._ It was getting humid down in the Forest and he pulled at his collar uncomfortably. He let the elf guide him to an oak tree and he sank down to the earth and wished that he had a bottle of water with him. By now, he was seeing bright spots and horizontal lines that intertwined almost everything in the Forest. He blinked his eyes but the bright figures remained and he delved through his memories if there was a way to shut them off from his sight. 

He saw a whitish ball floating toward him and frowned when a bottle of water suddenly appeared right before the cloudy ball. He turned to the elf who was looking down at him with gentle amusement. Cyfel casually reached for the bottle casually and drank a little before passing it to the exhausted boy. Harry took the bottle dubiously, then turned to stare at the cloudy ball. 

"Harry, dear," Aelwyn's familiar melodious voice spoke up and it seemed that it was coming directly from the whitish ball. "Don't stare at me like that. So your eyesight became sensitive," she mused and Harry had to wonder if she meant that he would be able to see without his glasses. The Sylph laughed and he sighed in disappointment. 

"You are not being nice," a deep voice spoke up and Harry saw a reddish ball hovering near the white ball. The Sylph continued laughing. 

"Uhm… Cyfel…" the boy called the elf in an uncertain tone while they waited for the rest to regroup before they move off to their final checkpoint. "Is there any way I could get to see everything normally again?" 

The elf smiled faintly at the boy. "Yes, I happen to know of a technique." 

Harry was relieved, then made an impatient noise at the elf. "Don't just look at me?! Teach me!" 

"This kid is really getting mean," the elf commented to Hermione and Sirius. 

"Yes," she agreed, looking patronizingly at her friend, while Harry's godfather chuckled tiredly, "but I think that's why we're around. To make sure that he does not outgrow his shoes too much." 

Harry narrowed his eyes dangerously when his group began chortling at her subtle hint that he was getting a wee bit too cocky. The elf sat himself down in front of him and almost shyly reached out a mind-link. The boy hesitated before accepting the link; he was still feeling a little hurt that his teammates were still laughing. Horien and the rest of the group circled around the oblivious elf and wizard, watching their surroundings warily. Hermione watched her friend with a peculiar expression on her face and it vanished when Remus's group finally appeared. It was replaced by a fond smile as Ron slowly made his way toward her. 

"Did you understand any of that?" He was clearly referring to the spellcasting. His voice sounded very awed. Hermione gave a small, affectionate laugh, shaking her head merrily. Even Remus smiled a little, although his eyes never stopped to scan the area. 

"It must have been exhausting work," the Defence teacher remarked, pointing his chin at their friend who was receiving instructions from the elf before him. He accepted the bottle of water that his best friend offered and took a huge gulp of the refreshing liquid before speaking. "Sieghart was fairly drained that we had to let him get his orientations before we move off." 

Snape's group was next to arrive and it seemed that he and his godson were clearly not in friendly terms and that made the Defence teacher slightly nervous. Draco went straight to where his oathbrother sat while the Potions Master headed for Remus and Sirius. The air felt strangely tense and everyone was relieved when Harry finally completed the brief training and the two other groups came in for a brief rest and lunch before they rearrange themselves to lie in wait for Voldemort's army. 

The Fire Master ignored the adults, going straight to Harry and his oathbrother, conversing privately with them. Sirius guessed by the rapt attention that the younger ones were giving her, the Fire Master was probably giving them tips and pointers of what they should do when they finally come face to face with their opponents. _: I don't want to ask too much from both of you, : _her eyes were melancholy as she spoke to them, _: but this time, you really have to think about your actions before carrying them out. Take your time. :_

__

_ : I think we could agree on that, :_ Harry said, and picked a sandwich from a tray that was ludicrously floating around the entire area. 

__

_ : For as long as we didn't bite more than we can chew, :_ his oathbrother agreed solemnly. The Slytherin certainly looked calmer than he actually felt, coolly checking his bow and decided to re-string it. 

Fenix carefully picked two of the sandwiched with her right hand and she squirmed_. : Krill, I feel a little unhygienic here. :_ She sent a thought to her chief Elemental, eyeing Harry who had finished eating his sandwich. Another bottle appeared and a Sylph waited until Draco was satisfied with his bow and set it aside to get a bite. 

He went several feet away with the bottle following him to wash his hand before eating. He returned then held Fenix's sandwich for her to take her turn at washing her hands. _: Drake, :_ her mindvoice drifted to the silver-eyed boy, _: you know that your godfather did not mean what he had said. : _She dropped the subject when the Slytherin remained silent. The Fire Master moved off to where her partner was, leaving the two oathbrothers to discuss their own things. The Potions Master was staring oddly at the two boys but she felt it was wise if she stayed away from the subject. She devoured the last bit of her sandwich and took the bottle that Remus held out for her. _I just hope that this will not be the day that the two would regret their actions' later…_

**********

****

**Dumbledore's office…**

The people that had been invited to Dumbledore's private meeting were getting restless by the moment. Michelle fiddled with her wand as they waited; giving off false sparks once in a while. Fawkes reappeared on the Headmaster's desk and all of them moved closer to hear if the phoenix had brought his owner any news. Dumbledore stared intensely at his bird and finally gave a nod. Then he spoke up in a quiet voice but not to the mortals who were with him. "Listen to me carefully," he spoke in a hushed voice, "whatever happens, you _must_ not leave Hogwarts at all cost." 

To their profound amazement, Fawkes began to make angry noises at his owner. Dumbledore looked at his bird fondly but spoke in a commanding tone. "You will have to obey me, just this once." Feeling that his next few words were just too private to be spoken aloud, the Headmaster concentrated his thoughts to his bird. _I'm just too fond of you, little bird. At least, I know you would be perfectly safe here, among the rest of them. So stay, and don't follow me. _His pet hopped from his desk onto his lap, butting his head forcefully and kept trying to burrow himself in the wizard's thick robes a few times before the bird decided it was an impossible task to achieve. 

Dumbledore slowly ran his fingers through the bright feathers of his bird, trying to soothe the agitated bird. His answer to their inquisitive looks was short. "They're here," was all he said. 

**********

****

**Back in the Forest…**

They were just about to move off to their respective positions when they heard a distinct chorus of galloping hooves hitting the ground brutally. The twenty-six people froze in their tracks and as one body, they build a physical shield flawlessly. Alarming thoughts ran through Draco's mind. _I guess he was right after all. The centaurs had probably ignored the warnings that I had given them. They have returned to get their revenge._ However, there was another thought that chilled him more than the prospect of having an entire herd of fighting and angry centaurs coming after them. _I hope it's not the Heliopaths… but the gallops sure aren't from some twenty-odd feet giants._

It was clear on Fenix's face that she also feared the worst as he 'heard' her sending out information and instructions to the Main. What came running toward them were something that they had not been expecting. It was a herd of unicorns. 

"I thought they were solitary creatures?" Ginny questioned her friends as the herd completely ignored them and galloped past them. There were murmurs of agreement and the Potions Master cleared his throat loudly enough to gain their attention. 

"This is certainly an unnatural sight," he agreed. "Though I think their flight as a herd might mean more than just simply gathering and running off together." He watched the last of the amazingly white and silvery forms of the mythical horses disappearing into the Forest. 

Sirius caught the Potions Master's hint almost immediately. "I see that the fun is about to start." 

"But which one?" Luna was thirty seconds slower to response. "Giants," she looked at Fenix, "or Heliopaths?" Her unblinking eyes then stared rudely at the Black. 

"I'm not much of a strategist," Montague suddenly spoke up, not looking at any of them as he pretended to check his quiver of arrows, "but it's likely that the giants will take the lead." The Quidditch captain had the kind of look that he had more to say, so they waited for him to speak up patiently. "I can't say that I know what _he_ is thinking, but he knows that by now we have found ways to eliminate the giants. I agree we have found the means but--" 

"The taking would not be an easy one," Remus interrupted, scowling. "I see where this is going. The giants would be more or less acting as decoys so that we waste too much energy on them, and will probably blunder when Voldemort's backup arrives." 

"I don't think I like what you're saying, Lupin," Ron said quietly. 

"Fenix, send the Sylphs out," Cadriel commanded the Fire Master after a moment of thinking. The Fire Master did as was instructed, her silver eyes shining brightly with her spiritual power as she concentrated on hearing the reports of her Elementals. The elves were both surprised and worried when she actually began to summon all the other Elementals. 

__

_ : What is she doing? :_ Harry questioned his oathbrother. 

__

_ : I'm not sure, Green-Eyes, :_ Draco used that term very casually, _: but whatever she's doing isn't for fun. Maybe… :_ His mindvoice trailed off and Harry felt uneasiness creeping slowly into his soul. 

"Montague's right," the Fire Master spoke into the silence. Ginny looked about them carefully. It seemed that Luna interpreted her inquisitive glance accurately. 

"It's not the shield. It _is_ quiet. Even the air is not moving." 

Fenix nodded absently to herself. "We're terribly outnumbered, guys," she sighed before continuing her sentence, "there are thirty giants making their way down here. I hate the thought of having to kill them and then waste more energy in creating a funeral pyre for them." Sirius snorted and muttered something very insulting at her. She totally ignored her oathbrother. "There is still no trace of our Heliopaths." 

"But what if the Heliopaths don't exist at all?" Hermione asked the group. In her heart, she was wondering why they were casually discussing the matter in the middle of a mission. 

The Fire Master turned to stare impassively at the Granger and the young girl immediately regretted her actions. She was shocked when the Fire Master finally spoke. "You could be right, Hermione. Voldemort might have taken the chance to tamper with the peoples' memories, especially the Minister's. There is such a way to install false memories; Voldemort could have done the same thing to Fudge in making him think that he had been raising an army of Heliopaths." 

The company looked utterly dumbfounded, except for Hermione who was nodding her head fervently. Fenix's theory held too much sense that they could not just ignore the situation. Fenix maintained her silence, carefully examining their facial expressions and body language as they processed her words mentally. 

Cadriel, who was appointed as the overall general of their mission, suggested that they might have to change their plans a little. Cyfel spoke up, "For obvious reasons, the groups led by Sirius and Remus should maintain the positions that had been assigned to them. There might be no Heliopaths, but I recall there are two species of demons that bore the same physical description from the information that had been gathered so far." 

"What demons?" Fenix asked sharply, though she looked a little skeptical at the elf's theory. 

"Helion and Earaiths. You should have memories of them," the elf answered easily, looking at her for a moment before gazing solemnly at Draco. 

The moment the Slytherin heard the name of the latter, images filled his mind so quickly that he was totally overwhelmed by them. By the time Fenix and his oathbrother brought him out of the sudden nightmarish visions, his face was deathly pale and he was clutching at his revolting stomach. He was still able to smell burnt bodies and sensations of despair and horror from the victims. Harry refused to let go of his mind-link, spending some energy to help his oathbrother vanquish the horrible visions away. 

Draco gasped, then gave a look so full of gratitude that Harry felt amazed. He had never seen the Slytherin looking at anyone like that, ever. "You know," his voice was hoarse, "I think I believe in demons more than I believe Fudge." 

"So… there might be such creatures of fire," Luna said, almost as if she was refusing to believe that the Heliopaths were not real as she thought them to be. "_He_ just named them differently." 

"Whatever…' Hermione sighed and looked at Cadriel. The elf stared intently at his kind and finally turned to the rest. 

"Remus, Sirius," he spoke up, voice backed with determination, "maintain your positions." He turned to the Potions Master. "Front guard for Sirius." Snape nodded. It seemed a little unreal that he was actually taking someone's order. Cadriel's eyes gleamed cruelly when he turned to Aldren and Fenix. 

"First wave?" she complained, then sighed when Aldren chuckled and Cadriel's face broke into a wide grin. "Why do you always take the riskiest job?" 

That seemed to catch Ron's attention totally, for his younger sister was under Cadriel's command. "What do you mean, risky?" he yelped, eyes going round with anxiety. 

Ginny timidly pulled on the elf's sleeve and before her brother could question the elf, Cadriel's group disappeared to their assigned area. Fenix received a confirmation that they were in place and there were no signs of the giants, yet. She tried to keep on a blank expression as the Weasley looked at her suspiciously. _: See you people later! : _Her group vanished. 

"Ah… Ron?" Hermione spoke up in a timid voice. "You've got to control your temper. Too much emotions would seriously affect your sense of judgment." He took her advice soberly and took several calming breaths before he was Translocated with the rest of his group to their assigned positions. 

**********

****

**McGonagall's office…**

Professor McGonagall was studying the map of Hogwarts and the Forest carefully with Flitwick accompanying her. Someone knocked on the door and a house-elf helped to open the door. "Albus!" McGonagall exclaimed, clearly not expecting the Headmaster. 

"Afternoon, Minerva," he greeted. "Would you come with me for a moment?" the Headmaster politely requested when he saw that she was not alone. 

Flitwick did not have to pretend that he had not seen or heard the Headmaster because he was totally self-absorbed in plotting and calculating the damage that could be expected to occur in the Forest by sundown. The tiny professor mumbled to himself about the craziness of Dumbledore and the Elven Lord to have sent only twenty-six people out to deal with thirty giants, which were much well-armored than the previous batch had been. 

McGonagall followed the Headmaster out to the silent corridor and to her surprise, he entrusted her with a bunch of keys and then Fawkes. His bird was making sorrowful noises as his owner set him on the Transfigurations teacher's arm. "Albus…" Her voice stuck in her throat as she stared deeply into his eyes. The Headmaster gave her a gentle smile before whisking off, hurriedly getting away from her. 

McGonagall stood frozen at the silent hallway, with her eyes wide with horror. She was looking so terrified that when Flitwick stomped out of the office to fetch her back, he faltered when he saw the profound despair that she displayed. His eyes took in the expression on her face, and then to the set of keys in her hand that she was clutching so tightly, and finally to Dumbledore's unmistakable bird. He finally realized the meaning behind those three observations but decided against showing McGonagall sympathy. _I know Dumbledore wouldn't want a useless Headmistress. _He took a deep breath and broke the silence. "Minerva, we _absolutely_ have to finish chartering that map. The Main as you know, are in a standby mode, so it will be good if we were to join them at the Great Hall as soon as possible." The Transfigurations teacher snapped out of her reverie and in a preoccupied manner, she followed Flitwick back to her own office. 

**********

Moody watched Dumbledore's company trekked their way out of the castle without being noticed by the ever-watchful students. It was against the nature of the ex-Auror to remain behind where action could be found. Then again, it was against his sense of duty if he were to leave the School without his skills, which might be needed later, though he doubted that the twenty-six people would fail in dealing with the giants and Heliopaths. 

**********

****

**At the edge of the trail…**

All the groups patiently waited for the giants to enter the trail and indeed, after the reports that was given by the Fire Master's Elementals, the giants had used the trail that had been previously used by Golgomath. The sounds that were coming from the massive beings were impressive and it was scary and loud enough that it made even Fenix's heart race. 

The wind raced uphill and Aldren's group nearly fainted with the odor that the giants brought with them. _: Dear gods! : _Aelwen gagged and they heartily agreed with the female elf. _: Do they ever bathe? : _Their group was perching on a huge oak that had given them permission to set up their 'base'. 

__

_ : I don't think they did… not for several months anyway… :_ Seamus, who had to stay linked with the elf to make himself heard commented dryly. Then they heard the giants' bellows and the creatures came nearer. They wasted no more time on casual conversations, paying attention to the giants and their body armor carefully. They waited for Cadriel's signal to engage. He gave a silent command for them to draw their weapons. All of them were equipped with the traditional Elven longbows that had superb firing range but of course, the rest was dependent on the archer's skill. That was probably the reason why Cadriel had chosen Aldren's group to be on the front line since Seamus and surprisingly, Neville were not too bad in archery. 

__

_ : Try to aim for the eyes or ears if you can, : _Aldren suggested and all gave their assent. He was not finished as he spoke to Fenix. _: I want you to try to get a shot at their throats, or heart… just using the arrow. :_

__

_ : Is that possible? : _Sirius questioned the elf doubtfully. 

__

_ : The problem is I can't really remember if we were successful in piercing the armor of the giants during the attack on Hallowe'en night. :_

__

_ : As I recall, : _Fenix said helpfully, _: it was totally impossible for us to get the arrows out of their bodies without magical help. The arrows were embedded quite deeply into the giants' bodies. :_

__

_ : So it might be entirely possible that we might get the arrows into their armor then, : _Neville said brightly. 

Although the wind stilled, the stench coming from the giants were getting worse as they neared the group. They waited until the giants finally entered the susceptible range and when Cadriel gave them the green light, arrows zoomed off in the air almost unseen by the giants. Seamus's arrow penetrated through the giant's throat guard and it gurgled, choking up on blood and clawing at the almost needle-like projectile. Within seconds, it fell dead, crashing against another dead giant. Cadriel's group fired their arrows and twenty-seven giants remained. Fenix took her time in aiming at one particularly arrogant giant and released her arrow. The arrow hit the breastplate harmlessly and the giant roared in anger. 

__

_ : Didn't work… :_

__

_ : Then aim for their throats. :_

__

_ : I absolutely am not going to enjoy giving them a proper funeral later. :_

__

_ : Fenix, : _Krill's mindvoice echoed in her mind. _: McGonagall requests that you maintain the giants in the area that you are now. :_

__

_ : All right, : _she answered, as she took an arrow to make her shot. The giants did not seem to follow orders from anyone but they were lumbering closer to the humans. 

__

_ : Any signs of the Heliopaths yet? : _someone asked, but the rest gave a negative. Fenix let her arrow take flight and it zoomed off to embed itself into a giant's throat. Three more went down and the Fire Master stomped down her sense of humor. It seemed that the dead giants continued to pile up in one place but she saw no reasons to complain. 

**********

Draco was watching the situation with his Sight, seeing the giants as big, brown lights. As if forgotten about his previous dissatisfaction with his godfather, he sent a frustrated thought to the Potions Master. 

__

_ : Eventually, the giants will find their tactic a little irritating and plunge right down into the Forest. We had removed the trappings and it would be too late if the giants were to separate and starts going into several different directions, : _he said. _: They're not taking the giants down as quickly as they should. :_

Snape agreed uncomplainingly with his godson. The situation was getting worse by the moment and it quickly soured for the Potions Master when someone turned up unexpectedly on the branch where he and his godson were perching. 

__

_ : I think you ought to stop killing those giants, : _the same stranger that had helped Mineif to heal Fenix spoke up. _: This will obviously irk you but your godson has the potential to transport them to other places. :_

__

_ : But what would be the point if Voldemort could find them again at his own will? : _Snape argued. The stranger sighed. 

__

_ : I seldom like to intervene in your dealings but I guess there are some things which I could do, : _the stranger said cryptically. _: _Your_ godson will help me in transporting them to my place, and I can keep watch on the troublesome giants. My kind is having a council session on their future. :_

Draco nodded as he accepted the task but Snape was being stubborn than usual that day. He argued that Harry would be a backup short in anything failed but his godson pointed out that they have all the Elven mages with them. Finally, Snape gave up his argument, taking a moment to inform Cadriel and the rest of the sudden offer. The 'general' took the Potions Master rather calmly, unmoved by the knowledge that they would be at least one sorcerer short for the time being. Draco vanished with the stranger, leaving his godfather in a blanket of uneasiness. 

**********

He_ had better use Draco's powers wisely,_ she thought as she concentrated on her aim. According to the new plan, they were to keep the giants in that particular area as Draco and the stranger began to create a spell of a gigantic proportion to accommodate twenty-one giants. She felt the air about her crackle and using her other Sight, she saw complex, pulsing lines that were beginning to circle the giants. 

__

_ : Fenix, :_ Harry called out. His mindvoice sounded concerned and excited at the same time. 

__

_ : Yes? :_ she asked the boy absently as she aimed for a giant's leg. 

__

_ : There's something odd occurring right behind your designated area, : _the young wizard informed her. He felt her skepticism then quickly reported. _: It's not Draco's vortex. :_

The Fire Master gave a frown and looked about her with her Sight. Harry had described Draco's spellcasting precisely, and the circle of pulsating energy took on a more definite shape. She silently motioned to Neville to take her place as she maneuvered about the tree branch. _He's right_… There was something quite out of place. She saw the natural field energy about the area began to expand and contract, then something was beginning to displace the energy. _: Aldren, :_ she called out, then pointed her chin toward the suspicious area. 

__

_ : Could it be? : _the elf mused. _:_ _Krill, what can you say about that? : _He cast his question to the hovering Salamander. 

__

_ : No idea, Aldren. It reminds me of the times you Translocated yourselves, :_ the Salamander answered. 

Cadriel issued commands to the three groups to remain on standby mode, and gave Aldren's group permission to feel the suspicious area out. The Fire Master volunteered to go and check but only after she ensured that the backs of her group members were protected with a shield. She carefully dropped from the tree branch and examined the ground before her slowly. Stepping through her shield, she took a moment to sort out the different sounds that she was able to pinpoint. She heard the soft murmurs of the Elementals all around them, the gentle feeling of electricity radiating out from the anti-flammable spells and the angry growls of the giants. Draco's vortex had become stronger, and the energy that was spinning around the giants became visible to the normal eye. To their relief, one by one; the giants vanished as they were taken captive by the Sun God. 

**********

Voldemort threw his wineglass against the wall and it shattered. His face was white with anger. First, his spies were caught and then terminated, then he found that Dumbledore had prevented him from scrying into the castle to watch their movements. Now, Macnair reported that they had lost contact with the giants and were unable to reach them. His follower had fled quickly enough from Voldemort's killing rage after the report. 

Voldemort struggled to maintain his temper. He slowly began to smile. _The playthings of the Ministry would bring them down for me… _The Dark Lord's insane laugher rang eerily inside his stronghold. 

**********

Fenix was struggling to catch her breath. The Fire Master had walked into a deadly trap. The moment she reached the field of disturbance, she found herself smothered by bodies of flame. _Bloody hell… they're quite strong…_ She tried to wriggle herself from the crushing bodies but to no avail. _It's a good thing I'm fire-resistant._

__

_ : Fenix! : _Remus shouted. 

__

_ : I'm still alive, lover, : _she reassured her partner. _: I resent in being born short. Could you get a clearer look at these villains? :_ she asked before she spoke again. _: By the way, how many are there? : _The Fire Master was unaware that they were just decoys although the batch was extremely working hard at breaking her shields away by force. Harry watched the mass of fiery bodies in silence, picking up Fenix's struggling form. 

__

_ : Can't you see? :_ Sirius was amused. 

__

_ : Stop trying to be funny, bro. How could I, when my face is totally covered by a wall of fire? :_ she replied acidly. While they were distracted by their new opponents, the giants were no longer their concern and Cadriel's and Aldren's group rejoined the rest. 

Draco reappeared beside his godfather and examined the pillars of flame, the tallest standing at eighteen feet tall while the shortest stood at fifteen. He concentrated on trying to distinguish the physical appearance of the creatures while his oathbrother concentrated on counting the number of their opponents. The creatures did not seem to have any facial features; they were like an extremely broad lamppost with so many arms attached to the main body. _They're more like whips._ The creatures have a pair of hooves, and he decided to make something clear to everyone. 

__

_ : Sorry to disappoint you, Hermione, but they're not demons, :_ he said and his oathbrother agreed. 

Harry spoke up. _: If you think these ones are scary-- they're the original Heliopaths by the way-- : _he said rather casually, _: what do you think about those? :_

They stared among the trees and finally saw five filmy-like creatures skulking closely to the forest floor. The students and the wizards instantly remembered the Lethifolds that had fled out from the sub-levels. Instead of normal-looking black cloaks, the creatures were like a moving sheet of sickly green fire. The one taking the lead paused and stood up, looking directly at Draco. Unlike the Heliopaths, the 'new models' seemed to have acquired a pair of narrow-looking eyes. 

__

_ : Green-eyes… : _Draco sent an anxious thought to his oathbrother. 

__

_ : They're fundamentally the same as the Heliopaths but a lot stronger and they're able to-- : _Harry broke off as the prototypes demonstrated what he was about to explain. 

__

_ : Bloody hell. :_ Draco said flatly as he watched the creatures' fire began eating the anti-flammable spells at an alarming rate.

__

_ : Looks like we have underestimated Voldemort's intelligence. :_

__

_ : Not quite, :_ Fenix spoke up and they heard a loud blast coming from her group of Heliopaths. The giraffe-like creatures scattered, but one of them slowly began to lose its hearth and disintegrated to ashes. _: We have underestimated the elite group that had created them in the first place, : _she corrected. She called up her wand and waved her arm in an arc as she spoke loudly, "_Éteindre_!" The fires that the prototypes released were suppressed and the Extinguishing Spell took effect as it quickly used up the source that a fire needs to stay lit. 

"I think I should be able to handle these," Fenix said, eyeing maliciously at the Heliopaths. 

__

_ : That leaves us to handle the prototypes then, :_ Harry said. He sent a thought to Draco, saying that he needed the Slytherin's help to create a spell. 

__

_ : Whatever… :_ Draco sighed and disappeared to go to his oathbrother's. 

Cadriel agreed that Remus's group should remain on the alert, while Sirius's group maintained their watch on Harry and Draco. Jaheera's group was given the green light to go off to create an expansive shield to keep the creatures from taking flight. Hermione and Cyfel used several charms to keep the prototypes from advancing, waiting until Draco and his oathbrother were ready to deal with them. Fenix was doing something rather strange than exterminating the Heliopaths immediately. 

__

_ : Don't mind her, :_ Cyfel spoke up suddenly. _: She's just improvising on what Draco had suggested her to do. Anyway, she rather needs something to release her stress. :_

__

_ : You know, I'm rather glad that you pointed that out to me, :_ Hermione said in a serious tone and released a spell that hit two of the prototypes and they suddenly turned black and began dancing around. She cast another spell and it returned the creatures to their normal state. She kept them busy enough that Cyfel was beginning to get a little bored, watching the Granger keeping the prototypes so busy that they did not release their flames. 

__

_ : Are you guys ready? :_ Fenix sent a thought to the two boys. The Fire Master was calmly looking at the enraged Heliopaths. She found out that they were at least partially blind and depended on their tentacles to feel the vibrations of her movements. She suspected that they would also be able to track her if she used any magic that would disturb the air. There was a catch, however. Fenix and the two boys had joined in casting the spell that the air was thrumming so loudly and it made the Heliopaths more confused at detecting their opponent. 

__

_ : All right, we're ready, :_ Harry and Draco answered at the same time. 

Tendrils of energy flickered as the three began taking on their specialized forms to activate the improvised spell. The prototypes stared at the air around them and realizing that they were in trouble, they tried to take on their own invisible forms but were unsuccessful. Harry steadily grew brighter with his White Spirit, the Dragon adding a shadow to him, while the Phoenix gave him a substantial form. 

Snape looked at the glowing form that stood on the ground. It was a Phoenix, but it was not Fenix's original. The Potions Master collapsed tiredly against the tree trunk. He was not the only one who was looking as if he was going to experience a major case of a nervous breakdown. 

__

_ : My god. :_ Sirius's mindvoice sounded tired but Remus felt worse than that. The werewolf had gone numb. 

__

_ : Do you think Dumbledore would allow me to retire, Padfoot? :_

__

_ : I doubt so, Moony. :_

__

_ : I don't think the Headmaster is the problem. But you can't really break your engagement with Fenix… :_

__

_ : Why must you be so right, Severus? :_

__

_ : It's my nature. :_

The bachelors stared, wondering what their godsons and the Fire Master were up to. The Heliopaths and the prototypes now were grouped together and the creatures decided to fight. The Heliopaths suddenly disappeared and it took the rest of them several minutes to understand what had just happened. The prototypes were cannibalistic, using the Heliopaths' fires to increase their own strength. Huge volumes of fire lashed out to hit the Phoenix directly. Fenix harvested the firepower, while Draco went in to find their 'hearts'. Having found them, he informed his oathbrother. Harry began creating a link to the spell they created to the hearts of the prototypes. The Phoenix raised its wings and pointed it to the group of Voldemort's creatures. The prototypes released another wave of fire, and Fenix deftly transmuted it to energy and fed it to Harry. 

He directed the power through the link and the spell was activated. In the blink of an eye, the spell quickly usurped the power that the three had harvested and completely engulfed the prototypes. 

Snape clapped both hands into his ears as a piercing noise cut the air and closed his eyes from the incandescent white light. The tension in the air decreased and slowly returned to normal. Harry, Draco and Fenix had collapsed against each other, panting heavily. 

"I don't think I care to experience that again," the Fire Master spoke up in a resolute voice, as she dropped flat onto her back. Draco nodded fervently but Harry looked at them wistfully. 

"But it felt good to be doing something," he protested. 

"It does, but merging with two other species seems odd." Fenix gave a small smile. "But the two of you were designed to work together." 

Harry leaned back against his oathbrother and watched the patch of ground where the prototypes had made their last stand. It was completely blackened. The rest finally went down from their trees and crowded about the three figures. 

"Let's not ask anyone about anything yet." Fenix looked pleadingly at them and there were sighs. 

"We can't go home just yet," Cadriel reminded her and she groaned as she remembered that there were still nine bodies waiting to be disposed off carefully. 

"I am certainly not going to burn them by myself," she said stubbornly. 

"Lazy," Ron admonished her and she stuck her tongue at him. 

The Fire Master looked at Harry imploringly. "You're an amplifier, so would you help me? And you too, Drake." The two boys groaned, earning no sympathy from their friends. 

********** 


	60. Counterattack

****

~ Chapter 60: Counter-attack ~

At the Forest…

The three of them were looking at the nine dead bodies of the giants with profound distaste. Fenix wrinkled her nose at the strong odor emanating out from them. By the time they had finished dealing with Voldemort's nonhuman helpers, it was nearly five in the afternoon. The three of them were getting irritated by the moment, clearly unhappy with the behavior of their fellow teammates. 

"They're not being fair." Draco dug his heel onto the turf. 

"Let's hurry up, Fenix. I stink," Harry complained, earning a chuckle from her. 

"I'm hungry," the Slytherin muttered. 

"Do me a favor," his oathbrother said directly to him. "Let's not talk about food now." 

Draco just looked archly at Harry who was examining the dead giants carefully. Fenix had walked to their opposite side and he sighed. He wondered if she would suggest that he should turn into his true form, and then to his embarrassment, she firmly told him that they should not spend their energy carelessly. 

__

: Then how do you suggest we get them burning? : the Slytherin asked impatiently. 

__

: Harry would act as our amplifier, or maybe a more appropriate term is that he would be a funnel directing our energy. Just do what you usually do when you want to take on your true form, but instead of redirecting it back to yourself, you send it to Harry, : she explained to both boys. _: So, do you think you can handle this? : _

Harry was still thinking deeply that his oathbrother had to catch his attention by giving him a sharp slap. "Ouch!" he yelped and glared indignantly at the Slytherin. 

__

: Stop wasting time, Green-Eyes, : Draco said. _: Were you listening to Fenix? :_

: Of course, I was! You did not stop to think that I would be the one who will harvest your power! : he shot back testily, then turned to the Fire Master who was looking at them with annoyance. _: Just how am I supposed to 'amplify' the fire? Fenix, I absolutely do not want to create a major Firestorm in this Forest by accident. : _

: A good point, : she admitted grudgingly. _: I guess we have to modify our plan then, :_ she finally spoke up after a moment of thinking. _: I guess we have to abandon that amplifying method. I want you to create a shield instead. Theoretically, if Drake's and my power are combined, it would probably be hot enough to do the job. So, you ought to create a _very_ tough shield. : _

Harry looked at her with a horrified expression. _: Fenix! What if I don't do it right? : _

: If you don't, I guess we have to be prepared in getting lectures by several different species then, : his oathbrother spoke up indifferently.

Harry looked helplessly at the two other people, before sighing in acceptance. He took a deep breath, then began to meticulously build a shield, and it began to close upon the three mortals with the dead giants. The air began to crackle with energy and Harry frowned. _Why do I always glow every single time I do this? Is wizardry that different from my new Power that it absolutely has to be ostentatious? Damn it! I'll think about this later . . . when I have the time,_ he thought with determination.

__

: Take your time, Harry. There's no need to rush. : He heard the Fire Master advised him.

__

I am not rushing. He told himself. The wheels in his mind were turning at a fast pace. _This place will suffer some serious forms of damages caused by the overload of magical powers. This could affect the ecosystem dependent in this particular area. _His shield began to turn visible, a white, bubble-like structure protruded out from the area. _Is there any way I could negate the excess power? Should I send it into the earth? But, can it take the pressure? A fine thing it would be if Hogwarts is to suffer from an earthquake, once I do that. _

The shield began to thicken, and Fenix could feel its strength. She looked fondly at the green-eyed boy who was working on his shield with his eyes closed. _So young, yet he had already faced his worst nightmares, and it is going to get worse in the future. Dear Phoebus. This boy already has to shoulder a lot of responsibilities, but then, so does his oathbrother. _The Fire Master looked away and stared at the immense shield. The wall had thickened further and she could not help but wonder about the limitations of the maker. She rested the flat of her palm against the energy shield, feeling its soothing warmth and also tested the strength molding it. Her face turned grim as she brooded._ His Gift is really strange. Is it because he is a wizard as well? I guess Harry is right. I have to watch him carefully to make sure that he does not fall prey to his Gift. _

Draco watched her worried expression but he kept silent, knowing why she was looking that way. _His power is different from ours, and has no rules that I'm aware of. Unlike him, we have absolute control on what we want our Fires to be or what to do. Harry's Gift is far too nebulous to take on its form, but I don't think it has one. _The Slytherin wondered why his oathbrother was taking such a long time to finish casting his shield. Draco began to pace, trying not to think about what he was subjecting his sense of smell to. _Huh ... Harry might need to set up a whole list of ethics to follow soon. Judging by the way he had lost control that night, his Gift is much stronger than mine or Fenix combined. _

Fenix was not thinking about anything in particular when a bell-like sound filled the area inside the shield. The wall flared and the energy making up the shield began to whirl. The Fire Master had not been expecting that and was even more stunned when she turned around. And she felt relieved that she was not the only one feeling that way; Draco was staring at his oathbrother with incredulity. 

__

What in the name of the Nine Gods does Harry think he is doing? Fenix gazed solemnly at Harry. The boy had shifted, standing at a close distance to the dead bodies. His form was totally engulfed in white light that his features were barely visible. He raised his arms and in the blink of an eye, lines of energy quickly shot out from the shield to merge with their owner. Without hesitation, Harry coaxed the earth to send out its own lines of power, and captured them deftly when they appeared. 

Fenix stared at the boy with amazement. The boy had created an outlet for their excess energy to enter and would not be wasted, since it would be fed back into the earth. She caught Draco's attention and the boy nodded, getting ready to receive a signal from his oathbrother.

__

: Well, do your stuff. : Harry's mindvoice filled their minds and Fenix was able to tell that the boy was straining to keep his hold on the shield. The two other people need no more prompting from the caster. 

Fenix released her Fire like a cannon ball and it quickly filled the area in a matter of seconds. The three stood calmly inside the conflagration, watching the brilliant blue fire began to feed on the dead bodies. Draco's green and black Fire swept through the Fire Master's gaps. The fire began to dance on its own accord and increased its intensity, covering the heap of dead bodies. It was impossible to look if the fires had done its job, they had totally screened off the view of the three mortals. But as the Fires had reached the maximum level that Harry's shield could withstand, Harry activated the energy lines. The fire was quickly sucked in by the lines and was transmuted into something milder and moldable force. Within minutes, Harry felt his shield weakening and warned the two to pull their Fires back. 

Their Fires danced madly with the earth's tune before they zoomed off toward their respective owners. Harry managed to reclaim his shield before it fully disintegrated and shared the left over energies equally among his peers. He let the earth lines return to their original places and sighed. Their task for the day had been accomplished. 

It took several minutes for the glow surrounding the three people to fade, and Harry gave a tremendous sigh that the Fire Master echoed. Harry gave a weak smile to both of them and Fenix grinned widely at him, while Draco just looked relieved. Harry gazed at the circle of black soil that they were standing on. 

__

: I guess that's it for the day, : Harry said, massaging his aching arm. 

__

: Let's go back to our company of lazy fellows, shall we? : Fenix turned her back to them and took the lead. 

__

: Yeah, let's go. I'm famished, : Draco said. 

His oathbrother shook his head in wonderment. _He still has an appetite after all of this? _He followed the two slowly as they headed back to where they had left their friends. The company had stubbornly refused to move from their position. They had no intentions of having to tolerate the stink coming from the giants. Harry sniffed experimentally at his shirt. _Well, either I smell normal, or the stink of the giants had numbed my sense of smell. _Then he decided not to dwell on that thought, preferring to keep his eyes open and to watch the path before him. 

**********

****

Occurring in the time span when the Sun God had descended in the Forbidden Forest.

The group of fifteen people had Apparated near the edge of the forest surrounding the ancient building, which was also the hideout of Voldemort and his followers. Although the area was Unplottable, Voldemort could not erase it from the maps made by the Muggles. The Dark Lord could not hide the island from the attention of the Undines, since they were constantly exchanging information with their counterparts. That was one of the advantages that Dumbledore had, and the wizard was careful not to take the Elementals' help for granted.

Charlie and two others had separated from the main group, to get to their dragon company. Reef followed the two younger men cautiously. He was a Dragon Rider before he became an Auror, and since his own Hebridean Black was among the troop, Reef was inclined to follow them. It had seemed a little farfetched that the released, and protected Hebride Dragon, had taken off on its own to head to the meeting point where the other Dragon Keepers were lying in wait to make their move, but that was what the Sylphs had reported. The reason why Reef had identified the Dragon as his was because of the bands of anklets that had been attached to one of the Dragon's hind legs. The only thing that worried Reef was that the Dragon had not caused any problems to the other dragons or their keepers. 

The thing that had amazed the rest was the Hebridean Black's keen sense of subterfuge. It had actually passed through the protections of the Dark Lord and had landed safely without being sensed at all, but of course, assuming that the Elementals had not falsified the incident. It actually helped the dragon troop that Voldemort had made this isolated and unfriendly island– according to the Muggles– his stronghold, and the chances of them having to cast memory charms on Muggles were almost nil. 

The terrain of the island made up for Voldemort's lack of stronger protections. Although there were trees surrounding the area, sharp, jagged rocks protruded out of the landscape, and the area was also filled with quicksand. Charlie had also heard rumors that there were also Banshees and Red-Caps lurking in the area. They crept about the trees with caution and quickly hid behind a grove of trees when they heard footfalls approaching their area. Reef scrutinized their hideout carefully before Charlie pulled him down. They held their breaths. 

__

They're too damn near the platoon ... have we been discovered? Charlie thought worriedly and he whispered quickly to his two friends. Reef shook his head, clearly mouthing the word 'Impossible'. 

__

"The dragons and their riders should be around here somewhere," a voice whispered harshly. 

A string of obscenities pierced the relative silence of the woods. _"Maybe that old Seer is slipping. I wonder why our Master still keeps that man. He's totally useless in important situations. Dumbledore had already prevented us from spying, who is to say that the wizard is not trying to fool us about counterattacking us in our own ground?" _another voice spoke up. 

__

"You said it yourself. What if this is what Dumbledore wanted us to think? I don't think it's a good idea if we leave without checking. Let's go back and start scouting again." 

The three hidden men were frowning. Charlie felt something brush against his left side and was about to reprimand his colleague. But Gilmore was at least three feet away behind him. It was then when the three men realized that they were not alone in the clump of trees. 

"Be at ease, Charlie. It's me," Aelwyn informed the three high-strung men. "Leave the two Death Eaters to us. Or rather... the Dryads." Her voice was mischievous. "Well, don't just sit there. Get moving!" The grove fell silent. Reef looked at Charlie curiously, then shrugged to himself. 

"Let's go. It will not be fun if Dumbledore decides to play all by himself," the Auror remarked. 

"But what are the Elementals going to do?" Gilmore asked, as they emerged from their hiding place. The three men began to run, deftly avoiding the quicksands that were in the area.

"I don't think I want to know," Charlie replied, panting slightly.

They suddenly came into a clearing and a great rush of wind almost bowled the three men over. Charlie managed to retain his balance and looked up, then he was mesmerized by a pair of brilliant, violet eyes. The huge dragon tucked its membrane-like wings back and calmly stared at the three little humans. Charlie and Gilmore slowly retrieved their wands from their pocket, and Charlie's heart leapt in his throat when Reef casually homed in closer to the dragon. The immense creature still watched in great calm. It finally moved when Reef stood at approximately three meters away from the dragon. It stretched out its right talon forward, as if to strike at the Auror. The other two men watched the scene with terror. But it was not the dragon's intention to hurt the human. It used its long claws to dig something out from underneath Reef's collar. One claw skillfully lifted a chain that was hung about the Auror's neck. 

The dragon shifted, and leaned closer to the ground. Swinging its huge, slender head to its side, its right eye examined the item on the Auror's neck. Then it slowly withdrew its talon carefully. Charlie stared at the Auror in amazement. 

__

I have never seen dragons display such intelligence! And this dragon isn't being aggressive at all! Excited thoughts filled the Weasley's mind. He shuddered, trying to shake off his feeling of trepidation and saw that the Auror was beckoning them to come closer. The two younger men hesitated for a moment before Charlie made the first move. He slowly approached the Auror and the dragon, not taking his eyes off the Hebridean Black. 

"We don't have much time on our hands but I want to quickly introduce the two of you to Ebudae." The Auror stopped speaking when Charlie gave him a hysterical look. "Don't look at me like that! He just won't respond to anything else except that," Reef spoke in a slightly exasperated tone. "He is going to sniff your hair for several seconds and then we absolutely have to go to the platoon."

Gilmore gulped. The young Keeper had not come across anyone who was so firmly bonded with his dragon that it becomes more than just a tool for riding or items for conservation. "Are you sure that... ah... Ebudae here would leave our heads and limbs intact?" 

"Don't be such a git! Hurry up, will you?" Reef said crossly. 

Charlie tentatively moved forward, close enough so that the dragon could bend its head down. Nervous sweat began to drip down the Weasley's forehead as he felt the warm breath coming from the dragon's snout. He quickly moved out of the way when Ebudae stopped sniffing at his hair and the dragon moved on to Gilmore. Routine satisfied, the dragon swiftly turned around and maneuvered deftly in between the trees. The three men followed closely behind the shadow of the dragon, though far enough from the sharp, pointy tail that was swinging back and forth. 

__

**********

Series of thunder shook the island, muffling the terrified squeals of the two scouts as they were engulfed quickly by a sentient quicksand. Aberforth turned his head quickly, his hard, steely eyes scanned through the trees to perceive where the screams had come from. The screaming finally died, and more than one person in the company shuddered at the opportunistic way the Elementals had attacked Voldemort's followers.

The Headmaster looked up into the gray sky. He wondered if the weather was a natural pattern or if it was caused by the Elementals. Dumbledore's eyes fell onto the stone manor. "Blade," he called softly, and the named wizard appeared by his side.

"We're ready," the Auror confirmed and the Headmaster nodded. "We just have to wait for the Riders to make their move before we break all the spells that are shielding the building."

"There's the signal!" the Auror's wife informed them, pointing at the controlled flashes of lightning that danced across the gloomy sky. 

The group of twelve assorted wizards and witches waited patiently in the vicinity, all holding their wands out. Activity began to swirl from the heart of the woods and finally, the area darkened for a brief moment as great shadows flew across the island from several different directions. And their target was the stone house that Voldemort had taken for his home. 

Reef held onto his seat tightly, feeling the muscles of his dragon straining to keep its altitude and speed. The Auror was crouching so closely to the dragon that he was practically unseen by other riders. His dark gray uniform blended in perfectly with the shiny black scales of his dragon. Charlie's Longhorn overtook them and Reef was able to see the dragon's stomach distended slightly. Ebudae was doing the same, and the dragon held it until... 

**********

Voldemort was calmly contemplating on the words of the old seer. _The war will last for years... _He began laughing inside the barren room that jumped to his feet when great roars pierced the air. 

"Dragons!" Voldemort heard someone yell and then he heard something crash onto the stone walls of the manor. 

"Master!" His ever-faithful servant quickly appeared by the door, eyes showing his fear, not because they were under attack but because his servant was afraid he would lose the Dark Lord. "We have to leave!"

There was a strange whistling sound coming from the window and Voldemort ducked just in time as a dragon let loose its terrible flame. "Quick! Gather the rest!" Voldemort grabbed his wand and cloak, and followed Lucius quickly. The dragon slammed against the brick walls. 

Some of Voldemort's followers were brave enough to come out from the protection of the building and began to concentrate on hitting the dragons with Stunning Spells. Most of the dragons withdrew, including Reef's Hebridean Black, to fly out from the attacking range. Then came the most feared dragon of all, a Hungarian Horntail. It somehow surprised Charlie that all dragons and riders were still much alive and intact, even in the company that particular dragon. A great bellow came from the angry dragon and the humans on the ground were too slow to remove themselves from the dragon's line of attack. The dragon's head snapped and great fire came shooting out from the dragon's throat. Death screams rang from the burnt Death Eaters. 

Voldemort's eyes turned dark with anger as more and more of his followers were burnt by the dragons and one that was stupid enough to taunt the Horntail, found himself being torn apart and gulped down by the dragon. The Dark Lord was smart enough to have set up an escape route for all of them. "Hurry!" Voldemort heard his servant's wife shrill voice and it was immediately followed by a wail when Michelle Haren appeared suddenly and flung the woman against a wall with a flick of her wand. 

__

"Crucio!" Mulciber shouted, waving his wand at the sorceress's back but it bounded off harmlessly when Julian Mingleweeve deflected the spell with a Shield Charm. 

"Let's not be rude that we absolutely have to interrupt the ladies," the oldest wizard said in a sardonic voice and vanished, along with the specialist. 

"Where are you running to, Lestrange?" Madam Amelia Bones called out. "You certainly don't intend to leave me without some entertainment?" Her hand snapped out and a jet of brilliant purple light suddenly shot out from the tip of her wand to hit the Death Eater's face. 

Absolute chaos broke out as another dozen of Aurors and Riders appeared into the house, intervening with the Death Eaters escape routes. With the dragons keeping watch outside, Voldemort's followers had no choice but to Apparate from the place. Unfortunately, Dumbledore had taken enough time to build a shield, that will hold long enough for him to pay his respects to the Dark Lord. 

"There will be no forgiveness," Madam Maxime spoke harshly, her eyes gleaming with deep-anger as she stared at the one-eyed Malfoy. He did not see her wand but found his vision blackening as he was hit by a spell. 

"We meet again, Tom Riddle," Dumbledore hailed the Dark Lord in a quiet voice. Voldemort froze, then turned to face the most powerful wizard ever known in the history of the Wizarding World. He stared coldly at the wise blue eyes belonging to the wizard. "I wonder, will the time be now?" the wizard asked, gazing calmly at the student he once knew. Voldemort remained silent, drawing his wand out and pointed it threateningly at Dumbledore. 

"Why don't we test it?" the aged wizard spoke up, almost to himself. Voldemort found himself being chained by golden ropes and his face scrunched up in pain as it tightened about his chest. But Voldemort was a strong wizard, too, and he willed the bindings into nothingness. Round one: a draw. 

**********


	61. Soul Traveling

****

~ Chapter 61: Soul Traveling ~

****

Nearly six in the evening…

The company took their time in returning to the castle, although Draco was walking ahead of them, taking very big strides. Hermione kept glancing at Harry as though he had done something to his oathbrother. Her green-eyed friend finally gave a small laugh. 

"Don't worry about him," Harry said, smiling gently at her. "I think he is just in the same state as your partner now."

His friend looked at him in bafflement, then blushed when she finally understood his words. "Oh..." She looked at her redheaded partner, smiling fondly at Ron's preoccupied expression. 

Harry's smile faded as he stared at the Potions Master's back. His oathbrother was still not talking to Snape, but it seemed that the Potions Master was being too hesitant about making up to his godson. He sighed, and his godfather turned a thoughtful look at him.

"You all right, Harry?" Sirius asked in concern.

"Huh? Oh... yeah... I'm fine," his godson answered, but somewhat distractedly. Sirius narrowed his eyes, then he slowed down, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts.

__

: Something bothering you? : Fenix's mindvoice filled the depths of his mind, and the look he gave her was somber. He pointed his chin at Harry, and she gave a brief nod. 

__

: He is_ behaving rather strangely, :_ Remus agreed. 

Harry was unaware of the silent discussion going on behind his back. A distant part of him advised him to inform someone of the strange feeling he was experiencing, but there was another part of him that was simply too curious to halt his concentration. There was a strange thrum that was filling a small part of his mind, and it was not coming from himself. Harry recognized it as the place where Voldemort had constantly used to link himself with the boy. _Voldemort? I thought I had burned off all connections to him? _He stopped in his tracks and called his godfather.

Sirius broke off from the conversation he was having with the Fire Master and her partner, quickly going over to his godson. Before he had the chance of asking why the boy had called him, Harry quickly said, "Sirius, I'm feeling something that Voldemort is feeling." The twenty-six people in the company stopped, and looked grimly at the boy who had spoken.

__

: I thought we had bu– : 

: I've been asking myself that for the past few minutes, Drake, : Harry informed his oathbrother in a tired mindvoice. Then he switched to the normal way of speech. "I know I can gain more information if I concentrate harder, but do you think I should try that?" 

Harry felt a mixture of relief and disappointment when most of them shook their heads. He was relieved that he was not going to be 'with' Voldemort but disappointed because the thrumming inside his head was growing steadier with each passing minute. 

__

: Let's get to the safety of the castle first, before we decide to do anything, : the Fire Master spoke to them. _: Something strange is happening to the people inside the castle but my Elementals refuse to tell me what has gone wrong. All I'm able to feel now is trepidation, disappointment and anxiousness. And all of those emotions seem to be pointing to the Headmaster. : _That information stopped everyone from protesting against her idea to investigate the situation about Harry and the Dark Lord. Their pace picked up, all moving quickly toward the castle. 

**********

****

About eighty-five minutes ago, in the partially destroyed manor.

Voldemort's world had narrowed down to only the circle of space where he had stood his ground and the opponent across him. _Damn him! Does he not feel the pain? _The Dark Lord snarled to himself, taking a moment to reassess the situation. Dumbledore had been hit squarely by a Cruciatus Curse, but it was not giving the effects that Voldemort wanted. There was a kind of grim determination in the Headmaster's eyes, and his eyes flashed dangerously. A loud shrieking sound filled the mind of Voldemort, and the Dark Lord collapsed, trying to block the noise out. Not moving the hand that held his wand, Dumbledore lifted the Dark Lord and the latter crashed against an oblivious Malfoy. 

The loud shrieking that was filling the Dark Lord's mind was preventing him to form a coherent thought, but still, his will was strong. Voldemort had the nature of a true-born sorcerer, and a red haze began to drown out the bells inside his head. He slowly pulled himself up to his feet, cruelly kicking Malfoy away from him. Voldemort was smiling, and Dumbledore hesitated for a moment. That was enough for the Dark Lord. Black, and smoky fumes quickly filled the room and the people quickly fled from the harmful fumes. Lestrange cursed and grabbing hold of the unconscious Malfoy, they retreated to a safer part of the house, leaving the Dark Lord alone with his challenger. 

Dumbledore choked on the fumes, and stumbled backwards, coughing. His right arm began to tingle painfully, aware that the fumes were reacting with his wand somehow. The Headmaster summoned for a strong whirlwind and it swept the fumes away. The brief attack left the Headmaster gasping for breath, eyes watering painfully. Round two: Voldemort gained a point. 

**********

****

Presently at Hogwarts.

Harry shook his head to the plate of chicken wings and Hermione passed it to the others. The company had immediately washed and headed just as quickly to the Hall for their dinner. Their friends who had remained behind during the sortie had greeted them with an almost forced enthusiasm. Harry's quick eyes did not miss the strained, haunted look that had flickered across McGonagall's eyes as she welcomed them. He managed to exchange a look with the Fire Master, but she just gave a shrug. Her silver eyes became steely however, just as they went up the slope to enter the castle. 

Now, all of them were seated at a Gryffindor table. Harry felt strangely uneasy, both from the strange feeling at the back of his mind and because Fenix, Snape, Sirius and Remus were being unusually quiet. He was sure that they were not 'talking' because if they had, he would be able to hear the 'echo' that only people like the Fire Master or the Elves could hear. _What on earth is going on?_ Harry frowned as he ate, and Alamanda fidgeted uneasily in her seat when she saw his angry face. _The Hall is just too quiet today._ Finally, the green-eyed boy lost his cool. Fenix, who was sitting two persons away from the boy, jumped in her seat when Harry suddenly slammed both his fists on the massive table. He stood up.

"Harry!" Hermione and Ginny exclaimed at once, their faces looking shocked at his behavior. 

"Where in hell is Dumbledore? Or Aberforth?" Harry turned around, his green eyes gazing steadily at Kingsley before he turned his attention to Moody.

"Don't know what you are talking about, boy," Moody grated, calmly putting his fork beside his plate. "They're in Dumbledore's office."

__

: Forget it, Harry. : The Fire Master's mindvoice filled his mind. 

__

: Moody's lying! : Harry's mindvoice was harsh with tension.

__

: So what? : Remus questioned him. He was staring at the green-eyed boy coolly. 

Harry looked at them in disbelief. He turned to Sirius, but his godfather was not even paying attention to them. He abruptly sat down, not looking at anyone as he angrily bolted down his dinner. He was concentrating so intensely on finishing his dinner that he actually bristled when McGonagall rested her hand on his shoulder. The boy had the grace to blush when Fenix gave him a tight mindslap to remind him of his manners. _And I wonder why she is always the one to reprimand me. I guess I should count myself lucky that it's not 'Uncle' Severus, _Harry thought in amusement, putting his anger away. 

"Dumbledore, Aberforth and Charlie," the Transfigurations teacher began in a quiet voice, her eyes not looking away from the boy's face, "I'm not exactly sure where they have gone, but..." she paused. Harry remained silent. "I fear that they have gone to confront the D- Voldemort."

**********

Ginny dropped her fork, meal completely forgotten. Ron looked just as dazed as his younger sister. He closed his gaping mouth with a snap, and his ears began to turn red. Harry looked down at his plate. Hearing Voldemort's name caused several visions to flash across his mind. The scenes rapidly changed. Buzz of conversations filled his ears but he was not able to comprehend the words. 

His oathbrother, finally realizing that Harry's eyes held a glazed look, abandoned his seat and hurried straight to Harry. He pushed McGonagall away absently and began shaking his oathbrother's shoulders, repeatedly calling out Harry's name. 

Still, Harry could not hear any of them, nor was he able to see the table messed with their dinner dishes and his friends. His vision was entirely filled with white, hazy light, occasionally seeing dragons flying through the scene. He felt fear, then sickened as he felt human flesh burn under the fire from the dragons. He was sickened as Death Eaters ran blindly into blind spots, not reacting quickly enough as they drowned in a sea of sand. 

Fenix felt as she had the need to vomit when she probed the boy and quickly blocked her gifts. Draco had stopped shaking his oathbrother, his silver eyes showing his helplessness as he watched Harry, who was lost in an unknown world.

**********

Harry found that fear could be tangible. He could taste it, and could almost touch it. He saw Charlie, stuck beneath a mass of rubble. He saw an Auror who was the one named Reef. He was desperately urging a dragon to move the stones from the trapped Weasley. Harry saw the Headmistress of the Beauxbatons Academy with another witch, running recklessly to follow a battered Malfoy and Lestrange. The Death Eaters and the rest of Voldemort's followers were in total disarray, absolutely confused by their Master's absence, and the presence of the dragons. They were not able to make a stand to protect themselves. _But..._ He heard his little voice again. In Harry's urgency to find Dumbledore, he saw Aberforth and another man dueling with Mulciber. Aberforth's gray hair was matted with blood. The thick red liquid dripped slowly down the length of his face. The Dumbledore collapsed; Harry saw Aberforth's comrade cursed and shouted at the unconscious man. The wizard gave up, giving his full attention to the specialist, hitting the Death Eater repeatedly. 

__

Dumbledore... Harry could not hear anything. The world was suddenly with silence and felt cold to him. He could not feel the warmth of his godfather. He could not feel the silent assurance of the Fire Master. He could not feel the encouragement of his friends. He felt empty. _Why?_ A detached part of Harry's mind asked again and again. _I'm so cold... so... cold. I can't feel anything... I can't hear them... _

He watched the images impassively. _Dumbledore..._ Harry half-heartedly placed his concentration on finding the Headmaster. _Wait... I should not go... It could be a trap. But... am I... dying? But they say that you will have a flashback of memories as you go. But I can't see Sirius's face... I don't remember the faces belonging to my friends... I can only remember their names._

**********

Hermione watched Harry's lost expression and finally lost control of her emotions. She fled away from the Hall, sobbing loudly, and Jaheera quickly left her place to follow the Granger, to make sure the girl would not do anything foolish. Remus and McGonagall quickly instructed the rest of the students to make themselves scarce, leaving the area to Sirius and the usual company. Dean held Ginny comfortingly but the girl was just too numb to react to anything. Sirius had lifted his godson from the bench, quickly placing Harry down on a hastily made pallet. McGonagall left with the elves to make sure that the other students stay out of mischief. 

Ron knelt by the pallet, grasping Harry's cold hand. Draco was sitting on a bench, his head buried in his hands and shoulders shaking with terrible grief. The boy did not care about the consequences by showing the weaker side to his friends, now that he had shown that he could easily have nervous breakdowns just like normal people. _Why can't Harry hear me? I was right there in front of him! Can't he see me? _

They heard a small gasp coming from Harry. Looking at him carefully, they found out that the boy was chuckling softly, but his green eyes showed great despair. Tears trickled silently down his cheeks. "I can't see Ron's face..." the boy whispered. "I don't remember Hermione's smile..." a broken sob emerged from Harry's throat. His voice became more desperate. "I can't feel Drake in my mind... I can't feel him at all..." 

**********

Harry was still devoted in his search to find the Headmaster but it felt as if he was slowly losing his mind. _Why did I want to search for him? _Harry asked himself. He stopped, standing totally alone in the haziness. _I was never alone before... I had never been truly lonely before... the Dursleys were always around, even if they were mistreating me... _Harry felt that he had been cut off from the world completely. _I'm truly on my own now... Sirius... help me... _

**********

"Sirius..." the boy called out desperately. 

"Harry. I'm right here." Sirius was now holding his godson tightly in his arms, feeling afraid suddenly. "God... come on, Harry. Get a grip! Wake up!" 

"Sirius... I'm so cold..." Harry's voice trailed off. 

Draco's face was wet with tears, and even Fenix was crying. She had tried her best to close off all her empathic channels, but the intensity of emotions was straining her hold on her emotions. Of all people in the Hall at that moment, she was the only one who understood why Draco was grieving. _I can't handle this,_ Fenix thought to herself, then finally collapsed in the far corner of the Hall. She huddled, trying not to give way to more tears. Her partner went to her, trying to comfort her, but the waves of despair that were coming from the people in the room were just too great for her to handle. 

__

: Take her outside! : Aelwyn suddenly screamed in Remus's mind. _: Now! :_ The werewolf looked wildly around the Hall, alarmed by the Sylph's command. He deftly scooped the small woman into his arms, and left the Hall by the side entrance. 

"I want to remember... everyone..." Harry whispered again. 

Snape had quickly enfolded his godson in his arms, putting aside their earlier argument, to give support to the Slytherin. Draco suddenly screamed in pain, crying out his tears of frustration. Harry may not be able to feel his oathbrother, but Draco was feeling the despair that was amplified by the boy who had taken the oathbond with him. The Slytherin was given no choice but to experience what his oathbrother was going through. 

__

: Knock me out! Just hex me into oblivion! Shit... the pain! : Draco babbled to his godfather. 

The oathbrothers gasped. Draco immediately stopped crying and Snape released the boy from his arms. His silver eyes were unseeing, his sharp, angular face contorted with anger and fear. Harry's face however, was shocked, but it was quickly replaced by grim determination. 

"Dumbledore's in deep trouble," Draco answered the voiceless question. 

**********

****

In the courtyard... 

Remus had been pushed aside by Fenix's invisible helpers. Bright, crimson fire was engulfing the Fire Master at a fast rate and the werewolf frowned, not understanding the scene before him. 

__

: She's sharing the grief with us. We can't afford her to break, not today, : Aelwyn answered the werewolf. _: Only Draco can reach his oathbrother... if he can... but he needs Fenix's powers. : _The fire abruptly stopped and Fenix emerged from the small cyclone of fire. She gave a brief smile to her partner. The two of them went back into the Hall. 

**********

Dumbledore was in trouble. Deep trouble. The Cruciatus Curse and the poisonous fumes that Voldemort had loosened upon the Headmaster were finally beginning to react with the Headmaster's body system. But the Headmaster had also unwittingly trapped Harry and himself in Voldemort's grasp. 

"I am certainly lucky that I have the opportunity to kill not one, but two wizards tonight." Voldemort trailed his fingers lazily across the length of his wand, looking down at Dumbledore's blood-smeared face. "It is stupid of you to bring the boy along." 

"I realize that." 

Voldemort laughed soundlessly. 

**********

****

Back in Hogwarts.

McGonagall had returned to the Hall, and was hovering anxiously near Harry's bed. Hermione, too, had returned, having taken a calming potion by Madam Pomfrey. Harry's oathbrother was kneeling at one side of Harry while Fenix on the other, and Sirius was supporting Harry's head on his lap. 

Harry still could not see them, but he could feel their presence, reassuring him in a way that was beyond words. They dispelled the coldness that had crept into his heart and with the warmth returning to him, he could hear Ron's laughter and Hermione's giggle, the merriment that had occurred in Sirius's sitting room. But what had made him happier but in a small way, galled him, was the resonating oathbond he had with the Slytherin. 

He heard Voldemort's threat to Dumbledore dimly, and those who were linked with him, felt his sense of bafflement. 

__

"But Dumbledore had not called me. I was searching for him." Harry's ghostly voice filled the room. He stared at the Dark Lord dispassionately, summoning his gift quietly. _I am going to get skinned by Fenix. I think I'm going to drain myself in fifteen minutes time. _Voldemort, after studying Harry's ghostly form for a few seconds, was convinced that the white glow surrounding the Gryffindor was just a form of spiritual energy. The Dark Lord turned his back to the astral projection. 

Harry's small movement did not attract Voldemort's attention and the boy quickly send the power to the Headmaster, quickly snapping off the immobility spell. Dumbledore held his wand tightly. The instant Voldemort cried out, "_Avada kedavra!_", the Headmaster's wand created a barrier in which the curse was completely absorbed. Muttering off an incantation, the tables had been turned against the Dark Lord. Voldemort froze. 

Harry's soul aided the Headmaster up to his feet, and the wizard tried not to flinch from the boy's bright, ethereal glow. Harry turned to the Dark Lord and spoke in a quiet, questioning voice._ "This is not the end of it, isn't it?"_ he asked. _"He is not going to be killed by me tonight."_

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed, dusting off his robes from the accumulated dust. 

Harry's astral projection moved closer to the Dark Lord, making Sirius to struggle to keep a tight rein on his mouth. Voldemort's eyes flickered with conflicting emotions for a brief moment. Harry gave a sigh, and placed his palms an inch away from the Dark Lord's shoulders. 

__

"I don't think you will remember a single thing after this. You will not remember that I am the one who is going to drain you and your followers of every source of power. You will be weak for a few months at least, to give me_ some ample time to prepare myself. Then again, you probably won't remember the words that I have just spoken. But you will keep on thinking that Dumbledore was the one responsible for your helplessness. You will only remember that he had spoken these words, 'We will meet again. When it's time'."_ As Harry spoke to the Dark Lord, the boy glowed brighter and brighter. Voldemort gave a soundless scream as he felt his harvest of magical reserves dissipating away into nothingness. Incandescent light pierced through the half-ruined manor, reaching out to a distant group of Death Eaters who had successfully escaped the wrath of the dragons. 

Voldemort's group of people fell unconscious as Harry's gift touched them, releasing the purified magical energy he stole from them back into the earth. That was all Harry could do in such short notice of the opportunity that had been given to him. It would take Voldemort or his followers about four months before they would be able to cast a simple candle-lighting spell. 

The light died, and Harry sighed with relief. He turned to look at Dumbledore. _"I've got to go back before _they_ get into more hysterics," _he said. _And I want to ask Fenix why the Sun God did not warn me that I'll be feeling the strange things. For that matter, why didn't he warn me that I could go astral-traveling? _The Headmaster nodded. _"You ought too, as soon as you have seen to everyone that had followed you here. The dream-spell would only last for two hours and you might want to be gone from here before _he_ awakens." _Harry paused and the Headmaster gave him an inquiring look. _"I might be wrong," _Harry said slowly, _"but I think Professor McGonagall will give you a trashing, once you've placed an inch of you into the castle." _

**********


	62. Sweet Moments

****

~ Chapter 62: Sweet Moments ~

Dumbledore stared at the spot where Harry had vanished then looked down to where the Dark Lord had collapsed into oblivion. The Headmaster let out a sigh so full of regret as he stepped over Voldemort's body, placing his foot carefully amongst the rubble. Dumbledore's thoughts fluttered away when he saw Julian lifting Aberforth up, trying to get the man to wake. He saw Charlie, arms cradling his waist as he leaned on a wall, breathing slowly. 

"Wulf," Michelle appeared at the Headmaster's side, "we can't do anything to the injured here. Hogwarts is the nearest place where your own brother and the McNoels can rest."

"Michelle's right," Julian agreed, the wizard's face showing grim concern as he gently placed Aberforth's head on his lap. "And we can't Apparate, not with Aberforth who had been hurt too badly, it's too risky to do that." 

"We'll transport the injured by dragon-back," Charlie volunteered and stepped away from the wall slowly. "There is a route which will directly lead us to Hogwarts, and since it's a body of the sea, it's less likely for the dragons to get spotted by Muggles." Now that the Weasley had come closer to the group, Dumbledore saw that the Rider's upper body was swathed with splints and bandages. 

The Weasley was looking at the Headmaster with question in his eyes. Dumbledore was about to say that he would Apparate immediately back to the castle when an unbidden thought flashed through his mind. _I doubt that Minerva can forgive me for scaring her to take my place. _He gave an inward wince. Charlie looked curiously at him and Dumbledore carefully feigned a thoughtful expression and blithely told the Romanian Dragon Keeper that he would depend on their available mode of transportation. 

The Headmaster was clever enough not to lie completely about his condition. He knelt beside Julian to examine his oblivious older brother and the Riders headed out of the building to get their dragons ready for the retreat. "What happened to him?" Dumbledore asked quietly. 

"I'm not sure, Wulf. Mulciber hit him with a spell that was going to split his head. Aberforth tried to dodge it, but was not quite successful. It did slice his scalp though. I just hope there is no damage done to his mind," the wizard answered in a grim voice. Lightning hit the building and Dumbledore sighed.

"I hope we are not going to fly in miserable weather."

**********

****

In the Great Hall...

__

"I might be wrong," Harry had said, _"but I think Professor McGonagall will give you a trashing, once you've placed an inch of you into the castle."_

McGonagall paled as the words left the boy's mouth. Hermione and her partner looked at the Transfigurations teacher with shrewd eyes. They turned their attention back to Harry, in hopes that their friend would return to normal now that his visit to the Dark Lord was over. Draco calmly placed the flat of his palm on his oathbrother's arm and nodded in satisfaction when he felt warmth coming from Harry. He peered closely at his oathbrother's face, ignoring Sirius's scowl. 

Remus lifted an eyebrow when he saw that Fenix and Snape bore an identical, sardonic expression on their faces. _: What are you two up to? : _he asked suspiciously. 

__

: What are you talking about, Remus? You should be asking that godson of mine, not me, : Snape answered. Looking back at the kids, the werewolf caught a wicked glint flickering in Draco's eyes. 

Harry was slowly rousing and the slow smile that brightened up his face made his oathbrother suppress the sudden irritation that sprang up. Harry groaned as he felt his muscles tightened up painfully and finally opened his eyes, to find himself being scrutinized heavily by his oathbrother. _Damn..._ He had the feeling that he was in trouble and he knew he was not far from wrong when a hissing sound filled his mind. The Slytherin was moving so fast that Harry was left to wonder about what his oathbrother was searching for. He sensed the triumph coming from Draco and the vibration that had been in his mind after their effort in making a funeral pyre for the giants suddenly vanished. Draco leaned back and let Sirius guide his godson up to a sitting position.

__

: Are you ready? : the Slytherin suddenly asked, and Harry, already confused, felt even more baffled, not understanding his oathbrother's question. 

__

: I don't understand, : Harry answered, a scowl beginning to appear on his young, striking face. His oathbrother took a deep breath and exploded, and harshly rebuked the green-eyed boy privately. 

__

: Stupid! Blast it, Potter! Don't you ever learn not to get too curious about certain stuff? Why the hell didn't you tell me or any of us that He gave you instructions? : 

: That's exactly the problem, git! : Harry lashed back angrily. _: Like that time that I was stuck in the maze of shields, I couldn't remember anything! And how in the bloody world was I to know that my Gift will also allow my soul to travel to another place? : _

: And not only that! : Draco fumed. _: I don't for a moment understand your actions, you ass! Since you are capable of draining Voldemort, why the hell didn't you finish him off? He's not the kind of person that would appreciate if you deal the situation like a goddamn gentleman! : _

: You don't think I know that? Bloody, insolent, spoilt... : Harry locked away the string of obscenities away before resuming his sentence. _: If I had been capable of doing that in my soul-form, I would! You think I want to be stuck with Voldemort longer than I have to? And what did you do to me? :_

: What I should have done from the beginning! Damnation! I wouldn't have offered you my blood if I had known that I have to constantly keep an eye on you! And since I can't turn my back on you, I bloody well am sticking with you, so don't try to disengage my link! You are absolutely not going to go soul-wandering ever! : Draco gave his oathbrother an ultimatum, and Harry stared at him in surprise, not quite believing the vehemence of his oathbrother. _: And the next time you try to do something, I will feel it so there is absolutely no chance at all that you will do anything behind our backs! : _The Slytherin fell silent, trying to control his anger. Then he spoke again, in a calmer and controlled mindvoice. _: I don't think I care to experience that desolation you had felt again. : _

: What? : Harry stared at his oathbrother in a dumbfounded manner. 

His oathbrother's peculiar silver eyes stared at him intently. _: I felt every single thing, : _his oathbrother explained softly. _: And I don't want to feel the absence of our oathbond again. : _

Harry looked stricken. Sirius and Remus exchanged baffled looks while Snape and Fenix smiled faintly. Ron and the rest just stared at the two oathbrothers in puzzlement. Hermione and Ginny smiled and stayed in their places, feeling that Sirius, Harry and Draco deserved some time to communicate in private. 

Harry, who was now sitting without support from his godfather, stared at his oathbrother for a long time without speaking. _I can't believe that I have been selfish. I did not mean to pull him down with me when I was lost. _The smile that surfaced on his oathbrother's face caught his attention. _I'm glad that he is giving us a real smile instead of sneering at us. I certainly didn't imagine that I've lost the feeling of violence that I used to have for Drake_, he thought somewhat abstractedly. 

Trying to hide the unsettling feeling inside him, Harry spoke to the Slytherin. _: Don't get sentimental on me, Drake. I don't think I'm flexible enough to cope with your drastic changes of character. : _

: If you noticed, having a family and blooming the feelings that comes with it, isn't exactly my idea, : his oathbrother replied in dry tone. 

Harry gave a crooked smile at his oathbrother. _: I know. You're probably a nicer guy than we had thought. I just hope you are not faking your behavior. : _

: And what if I say that you probably will never see my true self? : Draco asked slyly, and Harry gave a derisive snort. But Draco was secretly feeling happy that his oathbrother had seen his true colors. _Not with mindspeech and the oathbond. I don't think I can successfully lie to him from now on. _He sighed with regret and then turned his silver eyes to Sirius. "Now, it's your turn. You've been bloody damn inconsiderate by the way," he said to Harry. "I had barely eaten, and I'm beginning to get hungry just because I had to use my gift to support you."

"What's up with the 'bloody' stuff?" his oathbrother asked in amusement, probably because it was the first time he had ever heard Draco swore. 

"Unhealthy influence from my _relatives_," he said scathingly, eyeing Ron and the Fire Master. 

Hermione giggled and Ron flushed with embarrassment as the rest turned to eye him with mischief. By now, the other students had returned, since they were still using the Hall as their sleeping area. Grins were implanted on the faces of the students when they saw Harry was already up and looking very much alive. 

Sirius cleared his throat loudly and the company looked at the Black with curiosity. _: If you people had finish your chitchatting, I would really _love_ to have a few words with my precious godson. : _The gaze that he gave Harry was cold, almost unfriendly. Now, his godson knew that he was in a bigger trouble. 

As they all ignored the godfather and godson, the werewolf was eyeing the Fire Master in a strange way all the while. Fenix was unaware of her partner's attention until Krill informed her. Her eyes flared widely in surprise and shifted her gaze to the werewolf. _: Remus? :_ she asked in an uncertain voice, shivering at the intense way he was staring at her. 

__

: Come with me. : 

She started to scowl, behaving quite like the arrogant Black. McGonagall suddenly obstructed her direct stare as the latter waited for a good moment to step in between the Black and his godson. The Hall was quickly filling in and murmurs of conversation began to take place. Hermione leaned contentedly against Ron, feeling safe for the moment, and her partner was kind enough to oblige her. The Weasley's arm began to circle the Granger's slender waist and rested there, ignoring the Potions Master disapproving look completely. 

"Do you know how Dumbledore will travel back to Hogwarts?" McGonagall asked Harry in quiet voice after she heard both of the two sighed deeply and was smiling at each other. "You did advise him to come back after all..." 

Harry stared at his Head for a long time, then his face reddened as he thought of something. _: Drake, please tell me that I had not spoken aloud when I was gone. : _

: That's just too bad, : his oathbrother replied seriously and Harry flushed harder.

"Uh... well... All I can say is that he and the rest will not be Apparating. I think we should send some scouts out to look for dragons," Harry answered in a dubious voice. 

To everyone's surprise, McGonagall smiled faintly and her eyes gleamed with mischief. "In any case, you are right. I _am_ going to do _it_. Being a Headmistress is not my preferred career." With that, she left the Hall to the students. 

"Is Aberforth all right, Harry?" Fenix asked him, temporarily forgetting about her partner's request. 

"I'm not sure," the boy answered her slowly. "I seriously think that he's in a bad shape so that is the reason why I think Dumbledore will depend on the dragon keepers. He himself was exhausted by the duel with Voldemort."

The Fire Master gave a rueful sigh and stood up to stretch, and the boys gazed at her in appreciation. Hermione cleared her throat dangerously and the Fire Master laughed, looking unrepentant. "I guess I have to go out and recharge myself. _You_ have worn me up quite a bit," she said in the same tone that his oathbrother had used on him. Then she stared at her partner in confusion when he wordlessly took her hand and led her away from the Hall. They heard her ask them via mindspeech. _: What's up with this guy? : _

Their second dinner arrived at that point, and the faces of both Ron and Draco lit up with gratitude. Hermione gave an exasperated sigh when Ron shared his attention to her, and to the food floating in front of his face. 

"Well, this is a good way for a little celebration," Sirius remarked, after exchanging a look with the Potions Master. 

"Enjoy your meal while you can," Snape said softly.

Harry gave a sardonic smile at the present company. "Yeah," he turned to his friends. "The peace isn't going to last. All I have done is to make sure we are ready before we engage with Voldemort seriously."

"You're right," Ron said, sighing. His eyes showed a certain kind of fierce determination and it actually comforted Harry when he saw his best friend's protectiveness to Hermione. The Weasley still refused to let go of her waist even though it was hard for him to do that while he ate. "We can't really say we've won. Not if it means it will cause someone's life." 

It seemed clear to everyone that Ron had already turned his attention on the injured Aberforth. The Weasley was probably thinking that if Dumbledore's brother could get seriously hurt, so could the others of the company. The huge, big bed that the group always used had appeared and Snape crawled to it, and was almost unnoticed by everyone, if Sirius had not made the same decision to lie down. 

Draco suppressed a grin when he saw the contemptuous looks that had been exchanged within seconds between the two men. _: It seems that there are people who are not dealing well with their advancing age, : _he said wryly and was stung by mind-slaps by the two reclining men. Sixty seconds later, his godfather had fallen asleep and Sirius followed, several seconds after him. Draco looked fondly at both men, although the rest of them could not tell if his gentle smile was genuine, except for his oathbrother, who was also smiling.

"You know," Ginny suddenly spoke up, gaining the attention of her friends. "I wonder where Remus and Fenix have gone," she said in an innocent voice and Draco choked on his laughter, not believing that the girl had not seen the obvious. Harry caught his eye, and the two began to grin widely as naughty ideas popped into their minds. Ginny looked at them in bafflement, then her face slowly turned red when she understood their wicked grins. "Then again, it's probably none of my business." 

"Damn right, it isn't," Draco replied easily as he began to chuckle. 

**********

The two passed through corridors, double doors and magical classrooms. Fenix noticed that Remus was painstakingly maneuvering his way around the elves posted all about the area of the castle. 

__

: Lover, : she began, _: where are you taking me to? : _But the werewolf ignored her question and suddenly pushed her gently into a dark hallway. _What the hell? _She heard the door close behind her and the area was plunged into total blackness. _What in hell is wrong with this man? _She asked herself in irritation but it melted away when she felt his arms going around her waist. The werewolf pulled her closer to him so that her back was leaning against his chest. 

She smiled tenderly as she felt him kissing her hair. _I am so stupid that I had not realized how much I missed being this close to him._ She sighed and flinched slightly when his warm lips nuzzled her cold neck. He gave a throaty chuckle that made her shiver with excitement. _I hope Sirius is proud of him now..._

**********

It was approximately eleven in the evening when the two 'missing' persons returned to the Hall. Most of them were already sleeping and Fenix scanned the room quickly and saw that both her 'oathbrothers' had fallen into an exhausted sleep. But she wondered why the two godsons of the two sleeping men that she was extremely fond of, were not sleeping. 

Draco patted down on an empty space and she went straight to the spot, quickly removing her sandals to sit down. The Slytherin tapped his forehead briefly, and getting the idea immediately, she questioned the boy by mindspeech. _: What's up? : _

The two boys looked uneasily at each other. Harry finally spoke up and informed the Fire Master and her partner that he had done a bit of spying on the Dark Lord. She stared incredulously and was about to reprimand the green-eyed boy for his recklessness when she suddenly had the feeling that Harry had not gone to spy at Voldemort on his own. She narrowed her eyes and stared at the Slytherin until he dropped his bright, silver eyes. 

Remus was acting far too calmly for her liking. _: So what did you find out? : _

: Well, for a start, Voldemort was the first to wake up, and he was absolutely mad when he found out that he was as powerless as he was when he was... dead... : Harry informed them. 

__

: He then thought of the duel he had with Dumbledore and he suddenly became superbly amazed that Dumbledore had the temerity to let him go alive. He is already up and about by the way, : Draco added in his observation. 

Fenix did not like that and shrewdly interjected. _: Does that mean he has reserves? :_ Harry nodded solemnly. 

Aelwyn quickly interrupted the Fire Master before she could say anything else. _: They are nearly home. Voldemort is just too slow to respond to their retreat. :_

Fenix smiled at the Sylph hovering before her. _: But let's be cautious, all right? :_ she compromised and the Sylph's eyes narrowed a little as she gave her brethren instructions to keep Voldemort's people out of the dragons' range. "I can't believe all of this had happened in one day," she said softly as she lied down on the pallet beside the sleeping Potions Master. 

The other three followed her example and the lights in the Hall dimmed further. Aldren came in to briefly check on them and also to report to the Fire Master that everything was well and that their company certainly deserved some rest. Fenix gave the elf a sweet smile and he went out of the Hall soundlessly. She spent some time staring at the false night-sky above her, not really thinking of anything, just feeling the warmth of her partner cuddling her. 

__

: It's good that Harry had bought us some time. I don't think we could all remain sane at the rate we are going without getting some rest to recharge ourselves, : her partner commented and she saw no reason to disagree with him. 

She sighed with satisfaction then tilted her head to give her partner a quick kiss on the lips. _: I guess we should make most of our temporary breathing space before the war transits to another phase. :_ She looked up to watch the werewolf's kind, hazel eyes and could not help feeling the warmth of his love as he gazed deeply into her silver eyes. He kissed her and she smiled brightly, settling down to sleep. 

**********


	63. The Flight of the Wyrms

****

~ Chapter 63: The Flight of the Wyrms ~

Dumbledore was now wishing that he had kept his hair at a more manageable length and wished that he had not been wearing his sophisticated dark sorcerer robe. He secretly envied Michelle and Madam Maxime who had simply tied their hair up into a bun. _Well if I had been wiser, I should have listened to their advice hours ago._

The Headmaster was riding on Charlie's dragon, strapped with numerous, invisible safety bonds. He shook his head and tucked his long white hair back behind his ears in irritation. It was long past sunset, already close to the midnight hour. And his irritation grew worse when it started drizzling. He and some of the rest ignored the steady rain, not bothering protecting themselves with water-repellent charms, just in case Voldemort managed to catch up with them. Except for Julian, who had volunteered to ride on Reef's Hebride and who was also guarding the wounded Aberforth. His consciousness was continuously fading in and out and that worried the ancient wizard. Julian was half-settled against the Dumbledore in an attempt to keep the man warm, and also to protect the vulnerable wizard from the harsh wind and the drizzle that had turned into torrential rain. 

The weather continued to worsen and the Headmaster gave up at his flying, sodden, whipping strands of hair and pressed himself against the dragon's backbone to become 'one' with the flying dragon. Doing that made the ride more tolerable and it was certainly easier on his aching body. A gasp coming from the dragon's keeper made the Headmaster to quickly get up from his position, to ask if the Rider if he was all right. In his haste, Dumbledore obtained a nasty deep scratch on his chest by the sudden friction against the dragon's scales. 

The Headmaster winced in pain as rainwater hit his exposed chest, stinging the wound. He controlled his urge to swear and checked his ex-student carefully. A sudden flash of lightning startled him briefly and in that moment of light, he saw that Charlie was clutching his side, panting heavily with agony. _"CHARLIE!"_ Dumbledore yelled against the wind, hoping that the Weasley could hear him.

__

"YESSIR! I'M FINE!" the ex-Gryffindor answered, taking a sharp breath as the shout made his chest ache more painfully. Then the Weasley gave a strangled scream when his dragon suddenly took a plunge downwards. The dragon growled in pain as it felt claws slashing across its belly and sides. The sudden loss of the altitude caused Dumbledore to hit the dragon's backbone hard, and he was momentarily dazed. 

The Horntail flying below the Romanian Longhorn braked and jumped out of the dragon's way as it plummeted toward the dark, unfriendly body of water. At the last possible moment, Charlie's dragon placed all of its strength on its hind legs and managed to skim across the icy water. Dumbledore shook his head to clear his visions, then cursed when he realized that Charlie was knocked to unconsciousness by the tremendous impact. 

**********

Draco twitched in his sleep, shivered then groped around for the blanket. _: Green-eyes... : _he complained sleepily, tugging Harry feebly for the shared blanket. His oathbrother mumbled a protest and the Slytherin managed to grab hold of a corner of the warm fabric. 

__

: Bloody hell... we're just doing some traveling, but why do I still feel cold even when you're with me? : Harry groaned and his oathbrother chided him to keep silent. 

__

: Because it's raining... they're in a great deal of trouble though. : Draco turned over and sighed deeply. 

__

: I distantly remember someone telling me that I'm not about to go astral ever... I don't remember that same person urging me to take him with me when he tells me to... : 

The Slytherin snorted, and Harry grinned crookedly when his oathbrother swore and called him names. The oathbrothers took flight again. 

**********

The Fire Master cracked an eye open, feeling very much amused by the behavior of the two youths. _It's time for them to make their moves as a pair. What an interesting night it has become. But hell... I hope Charlie is all right... I thought that the area where Voldemort is, isn't that far from here. _She sighed, turned and buried her face against her partner's chest and promptly fell asleep. 

**********

Charlie's dragon took to the air again, and once it reached a comfortable height, it swung its muzzle around to look at its keeper, who sat slumped on the dragon's neck. There was a keening sound coming from the dragon's throat. 

High-pitched bat-like sounds filled the air and it amazed Dumbledore that he could hear them over the howling wind and the crashes of thunder overhead. He groped for his wand and turned to look over his shoulder and flyaway hair. Through the mist of rain, Dumbledore was able to see, huge, gleaming, sickly yellow eyes coming at them at a fast rate. 

The Hungarian Horntail, spurred by its keeper, sprang into action and a great roar ripped through the air. Jets of hot fire spilled over the dragon's mouth and the Headmaster saw the flock of creatures and wished that he had not seen their grotesque facial features. The flock scattered and the other dragons joined the Horntail to form a rank.

__

"DUMBLEDORE!" Michelle shouted in a clear voice, as she targeted the bat-like creatures with Blasting Curses. _'TAKE THE DRAGON OFF TO HOGWARTS! JER! REEF! FOLLOW DUMBLEDORE!"_

"BUT!" Julian protested. 

__

"DON'T BE AN IDIOT! THOSE FOUR NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION QUICKLY! I THINK CHARLIE'S INJURY IS MUCH MORE SERIOUS THAN WE HAD THOUGHT! CURSE YOU! JUST GO!" the witch continued to yell. 

__

"WE'LL COVER YOU!" the Horntail's keeper shouted in agreement and steadied himself as his dragon lurched forward to grab one of the creatures in its claws and killed it before it stuffed the dead creature into its mouth. 

Reef's Hebride flew alongside Charlie's dragon and the latter quickly moved with the Hebride, flying away from the site of the skirmish and was joined by another Longhorn to head for Hogwarts at top speed. 

Back to the rest of the dragons, the mighty creatures were beginning to tire and Michelle screamed in frustration. _"BLAST OFF YOU, INSANE, EVIL BATS! BY MERLIN! WHY DO THESE THINGS KEEP COMING?"_ she cursed vehemently. _"DARN, MISERABLE, UGLY, FLAB--"_ her shouts trailed off, when wings of black fire spread out across the sky, blocking her vision completely. 

The Horntail growled in triumph as its yellow eyes watched the Black Dragon. Then, as if reacting to an unspoken command, the rest of the dragons turned and resumed their flight back to Hogwarts. 

"What the hell..." Michelle said softly, as the dragon she was riding on took off. She twisted her body to get a clearer look at the surreal, massive creature. The Black Dragon was almost as big as the Ukrainian Ironbelly, although the Black Dragon's tail was much thicker and longer, adorned with fiery black-and-green spikes. _Somehow, I'm having the same feeling that I had at that time when the blue, fiery Phoenix made its appearance known to the wizarding world, a few months ago... Dear Merlin... More nonsense about the Ancients again? _She bit her lip, wiping off the trickles of water on her face, firmly refusing to believe her colleague's foresight. 

The dragons quickly caught up with the rest and Dumbledore looked at them in surprise. The witch was about to explain when the Horntail's keeper beat her to it. "Someone else has taken care of them!" he shouted, pointing at the Black Dragon with his arm. 

The Headmaster craned his neck and squinted at the darkness. Lightning flashed, and Dumbledore saw Draco's other magnificent form hovering in the air, puffs of steam trickling out of its nostrils. It had effectively blocked the flock from following the Headmaster. The Dragon's eyes flared and exhaled a huge volume of hot black and white fire, quickly reducing the flock to ashes. There were more of the creatures however, and the Black Dragon quickly rushed off to meet the new enemies. Dumbledore stared in amazement at the Dragon's agility and his throat suddenly went dry. _Are they acting with Fenix's and Snape's supervision? Dear Merlin..._ He took a deep breath, knowing the answer from the bottom of his heart. 

**********

The Black Dragon was quickly burning off the enemy ranks in seconds and the rest of the creatures took flight, finally aware that they were at great disadvantage compared to the ancient creature. 

__

: We're not done yet, Drake, : Harry informed his oathbrother as he directed the Slytherin to fly over to an area not far from the ruined mansion. 

__

: What do they have in there, Green-Eyes? : his oathbrother asked, his dragon-brows furrowing closer, his fiery silverish-green dragon eyes narrowing as he spotted an area pulsing with red, angry haze.

__

: His energy reserves that he kept locked in crystals, : Harry replied shortly. _: It's underneath that pile of quicksand. : _

: And how do you suggest we get to the crystals? : Draco asked in a sarcastic voice. _: I may be a dragon but I am absolutely not going to take a chance in the risk of getting stuck in that sand. : _

Harry's amusement carried over through their oathbond in great waves._ : For shame, Drake. Both of us are sorcerers. Surely you have not forgotten Flitwick's summoning lessons! :_ he stated, imitating Fenix's way of speaking flawlessly. That lightened up his far-too-serious oathbrother a little. 

**********

Voldemort and Lucius limped to get to their hidden treasure. The Dark Lord reached out a restraining hand as he felt a great source of power coming toward their area. 

"Master... what... is... it?" Lucius asked, panting heavily, trying to ignore the agony of his pounding head. Voldemort was strangely silent and the Death Eater looked up to where his Master was gazing, blinking his eye often as droplets of water fell onto his face. Then they saw it. A massive body of black and green fire that felt so familiar to them. 

They were somehow hypnotized by the black fire emanating from the dragon's wings. No one knew how Voldemort arrived to the conclusion that the Dragon had come to submit itself to the Dark Lord as it hovered above the quicksand. 

**********

Harry rolled over in his sleep, muffling his mouth with his upper arm, trying to smother his chuckles, while his oathbrother beside him half-muttered curses. He gave the silently chuckling boy a light punch on his side in his agitation.

**********

__

: WHAT?! : Draco screamed and Harry's over-amused feeling exploded, making the Slytherin fume harder. _: I? I? To serve that... that... : _the Slytherin could not find the words to express himself and was contemplating blowing off his cover by making some serious insults via mindspeech to the Dark Lord and the man who had loved him for most of his childhood. Luckily, Harry was able to restrain him, saying that it would not be good if Voldemort was to know too much about the Ancients.

The Dragon took a deep breath and carefully landed right at the brim of the pale, wet, mucky quicksand. Its catlike eyes watched the slow movements of the two figures, walking warily toward the quicksand. Both the Slytherin and the Gryffindor used their Gifts to find their targets and summoned the stones out of their hidden places. 

__

"Yeessss..." Voldemort hissed, still thinking that the Dragon was there to help him, since his magical powers were drained to its maximum. The Dark Lord's face was peculiarly serpent-like, now that his dark hair was damp, and looked strangely attractive to the Dragon. That made Draco squirm and disgust began to surface. Voldemort's expression of glee changed when the Dragon's mouth curled into a disdainful snarl. 

__

: I am a dragon! Not a goddamn bloody serpent! : the Slytherin fumed, concentrating intensely on calling up the gems while Harry saw to make a barrier that would prevent Voldemort from coming closer to them. 

**********

Alarm rose as the Dark Lord watched the Dragon quickly unearth his precious energy stones. "Lucius," his voice was almost strangled. "Get the stones quickly!" The pale haired Malfoy did as his Master instructed but faltered when his hands smacked solidly against an invisible wall. By the time they realized that the Dragon was _not_ an ally, and the Dragon's intent was to destroy the articles, it was already too late for them to do anything about the stones or the Dragon. 

The stones danced in a spiral-like manner while the Dragon studied them calmly. Then it stretched its back, inhaling a gigantic volume of air and threw out a stream of black fire from its snout.

Voldemort's face was so contorted with fury that it was barely recognizable, as he watched his harvested source of power turned into a useless pile of ashes. The Black Dragon snapped its jaws close with a loud crunch. Its nostrils let out puffs of white, smoky steam and it snarled at Voldemort before launching up to the air. Its broad, spiky tail nearly pierced the Dark Lord on the face if his servant had not launched himself onto his master and both fell onto the ground, unharmed. The Dark Lord's upturned face was exposed to the rainwater, and with unblinking eyes, he watched the greatest source of power flew away and disappeared into the black, night sky. 

His hands gripped the turf of grass and clenched his fists tightly, with Malfoy half-lying against him. His eyes turned black, anger broiling within its depths. Lucius flushed at the close proximity with his Master and hastily got up. Voldemort's hand suddenly grabbed his servant's arm, but it seemed that the Dark Lord was not aware of his own movement, so overwhelmed with rage. 

**__**

"DUMBLEDORRRRRRR!!!" Voldemort roared out in fury.

**********

__

: Mission accomplished. : Harry smiled in his sleep as both found their way back to their respective bodies. 

__

: Finally, : Draco said, sighing wearily._ : I can look forward to getting a real sleep. : _Harry agreed and both boys fell into the real realms of slumber, jet-black hair touching each other, both youths tucked under the same blanket. 

**********

Dumbledore had taken off the straps and carefully made his way to the dragon's neck and rearranged the safety bonds as they flew. Charlie was really pale, and he was losing heat. Dumbledore fastened the safety straps again, but this time, he was supporting the limp Weasley. The Headmaster was shivering with cold and his teeth chattered strongly and prayed that they would be within sight of the castle shortly. He suppressed the urge to scratch at his chest and closed his weary eyes. And he did what he should not have done while flying. The Headmaster fell into an exhausted sleep. 

**********

Fenix stirred from her sleep, her sides aching, and she wondered why she was breathing shallowly. Her eyes blurred and she shook her head slightly then slowly got up. Her head was pounding slightly and she looked about the Hall. The two boys were asleep and she slowly placed Remus's arm against the soft bedding and stood up. Aldren came in and seeing that she was awake, he gave her a slight nod and she began to make her way out to the elf. 

She shivered as a cold wind blew into the Hall and walked briskly over to the tall elf. _: They're reaching soon. I wonder what's wrong with Charlie, : _she said, and her eyes went out of focus again as she was filled with pain. Aldren drew her into his arms and steadied her as she took deep breaths. _: Aelwyn, do you know where the dragons will make their landing? : _

: Hagrid has sort of built a beacon to point the dragons where they should land, assuming that at least some of the dragon riders are awake to herd the dragons to the located area. : 

Fenix and Aldren walked unhurriedly out of the castle, taking sheltered shortcuts as the Elementals led them to where Hagrid was waiting for the creatures' appearance with McGonagall and Moody. They went into the Forest and saw the shining red beacon sheltered with magical spells against the rain. Fenix exchanged a silent greeting with the ex-Auror and waited with a dozen house-elves all prepared with stretchers and warm cloaks. 

Soon enough, Fenix heard the strange acoustics of beating wings, and heard the painful gasps of a dragon. Hagrid frowned as he assessed the noise. Fenix was the first to spot a struggling Longhorn to keep its wing-beats steady and its strength suddenly seeped away. The dragon was losing consciousness and was going to crash into the Forest. The Phoenix emerged, flying like an arrow and wrapped its wings about the unconscious dragon and its riders. The Phoenix reappeared with the wounded, safely back onto the wet, slippery ground. 

Some of the elves had arrived and began to cut off the straps holding the unconscious Headmaster and Ron's brother. The Phoenix stepped back, watching the activities of the elves with her aquiline, blue fiery eyes. They had finally freed the Headmaster and the Phoenix watched McGonagall's face carefully. If she was in a human form, Fenix would have sniggered, watching the yearning and concern of the Transfigurations teacher. Hagrid was pacing impatiently for them to load off the humans; he was worried about the deep slashes along the Longhorn's belly. The immense man looked uncertainly at the Phoenix and she tilted her head, and he sighed with relief and pointed to an area that was protected and dry. The Phoenix transported the injured dragon into the warm 'tent' and Hagrid hurried forward to quickly begin the dragon's treatment. 

The elves quickly laid the Weasley onto a stretcher and it was rather alarming that they had made a Jump, instead of walking back into the castle. The Hebride dragon was next to land and Fenix was surprised to see that Aberforth was totally alert and was already cursing about, trying to get off from the dragon to see his brother. The oldest wizard slowly slid off from the Hebridean Black and watched Aberforth with dissatisfaction but froze when he finally caught sight of the blue fiery Phoenix. The witch named Michelle, and the others who had landed, stared at the ancient creature almost rudely. 

Fenix regained her human form and just lifted an eyebrow at their incredulous looks. She walked slowly towards where Dumbledore was relieved of his robe and was being wrapped quickly in a dry and warm cloak. "What happened to the thrashing?" Fenix asked the Transfigurations teacher in a mild voice. 

McGonagall smiled faintly, not blushing as the look that the Fire Master gave her was rather significant. "Don't be disappointed, Fenix. He'll receive it when he is well enough to stand it." 

"Good. Don't let him run away free from punishment."

"What is this?" Aberforth looked at the Transfiguration teacher in mild amusement. He looked around in the rain, and seeing that the others were just too far away to overhear him, he whispered, "Don't tell me you just realized that you care for my brother?"

"Oh shut up," McGonagall replied in irritation and followed the elves carrying Dumbledore briskly. 

"How's your head, Aberforth?" Fenix asked the man in concern.

"I have a slight headache, and just a mild concussion, I think," he answered as he accepted a warm cloak from the Fire Master. 

Fenix pitched her voice loudly, "Let's go into where it's warm, unless if you wish to oversee to your dragons' comforts first," she said as she looked at the keepers thoughtfully. Reef nodded and she smiled as the Hebride dragon snorted and left his rider for the tent that was created solely for the dragon, waddling just like a crocodile on land. Fenix went off to the castle on her own, lost in her own thoughts and worries. _What is wrong with Charlie? _

**********


	64. A Blow After Another

****

~ Chapter 64: A Blow After Another ~

Tuesday morning, 13th November.

The Fire Master was brooding as she silently walked across the wet grounds into the castle. Her headache was growing worse as minutes trickled by and paused at the brick steps to massage her temple. Soft footfalls behind her made her turn and she gave a half-smile at the seemingly-well Aberforth. 

"You seem worried, Fenix," Dumbledore's brother stated bluntly. 

Fenix let out a small, sarcastic laugh. "I can't remember the last time I feel unburdened with worries, Aberforth." She sighed deeply, her eyes growing distant as she turned her thoughts inward, and the two of them proceeded up the staircase leading to the hospital wing in silence. Then she whispered to him. "Hell yes, I'm worried," she gave the tall wizard a sidelong look, "and you better make Pomfrey scan you for head injuries. What hit you anyway?" she asked him curiously.

"I have no idea actually," he answered in an embarrassed voice. "It seems like everyone nowadays is being extremely selfish in informing his dueler what spells he is flinging at you." He ran his fingers through his blood-coated gray hair. 

Krill suddenly appeared before her and urgently told the Fire Master to hurry. Mineif evidently needed her help in stabilizing the seriously injured Weasley. _Bloody hell... _She cast a significant look at Aberforth and at his nod, she Jumped, reappearing at the entrance of the infirmary. Bright mage lights hovered everywhere and she saw that half of the Elven company were helping Madam Pomfrey in her administrations to the injured. 

Fenix headed straight to where the Elven Lord was seated, his figure infused with a bright emerald glow as he and Aldren Healed Charlie. He gave her a preoccupied nod and instructed her to deal with the internal complications. 

**********

****

Twenty-eight minutes to six in the morning.

A loud roar of thunder made everyone jump in their sleep but was otherwise unaffected and they went right on sleeping. Snape turned to his side and wondered why the space beside him felt empty. He sleepily opened his eyes and waited patiently for his vision to focus and to adjust to the dim lighting of the Hall. He saw the clear outline of a sleeping werewolf, but there were no signs of the small Fire Master.

__

I don't think the werewolf will like it if he wakes up to find that Fenix is not with him, floated an abstract thought. He slowly sat up and looked over to his left and shuddered, and questioned his sanity when he realized that he had slept close beside the handsome Black. _Does he roll about in his sleep? _Snape asked himself and stifled a yawn. 

Snape looked beyond the werewolf and sighed as he watched the oathbrothers sleeping soundly next to each other. A suspicious feeling slowly crept in and he wondered if their (meaning his and Sirius's) godsons had entangled themselves up in more mischief while their godfathers slept. 

__

Damn that meddlesome woman. I certainly did not imagine myself to be buried head deep with the confusing concepts of maintaining a family. He almost snarled to himself. _All of this is so sweetening that it's nauseating. Certainly my own father would be scandalized if he knew what his precious son was up to. _The Potions Master snorted derisively. _To hell with him... It's all well and good that I'm single but I can't help envying the werewolf. If I had been any different or got to her first, I'm absolutely sure that Fenix would be with me instead of the werewolf. _Then he reprimanded himself for thinking like that and he felt galled at himself. _And damn that Black! The last person I wanted to be influenced by is this irritating, arrogant, self-conceited jackass! _He stared at the innocent-looking sleeping Black with disgust. _I wonder if should start acting like the Potions Master everyone knew before I took that cursed vacation in The Burrow_, he mused darkly. 

__

: I guess you could but keeping up your act will put a strain on your senses, : Wind's mindvoice suddenly popped in his mind and he was horrified to know that the wolf had been eavesdropping on his thoughts. 

__

: Let me give you a bit of advice, Severus, : Silver spoke to the Potions Master. _: It's rather hopeless because Fenix would not just stand and watch you being the 'stone-hearted and difficult-to-work-with' Potions Master. Not when she has the full support of very dubious females living in Hogwarts, : _the male wolf said in a serious tone. _: So spare yourself from hours of argument although I think it would be very entertaining if you do argue. Fenix wouldn't mind in getting physical. : _

Snape turned around and stared at the wolves that was curling beside the sleeping Granger. He sighed then gave a cynical smile at the wolves. _: I've lost my case even before I start it, am I right? : _he said in a sulky tone.

Silver gave him a grin. _: It's obvious you know. Once she starts to love someone, it will be rather hard not to return her love. Take your godson for example. : _

Snape gazed at the now raven-haired Slytherin and the thought of the youth's father flashed into his mind. He carefully pushed aside the anger that surfaced and asked the wolves if they knew of Fenix's whereabouts in an attempt to distract himself from having more murderous thoughts. 

The wolves went silent as they communed with the Elementals and passed on the news that the Fire Master was still locked in her Healing trance. Snape blinked his eyes in confusion and Wind pointed out to her mate in an exasperated mindvoice that the Potions Master had not been informed of the Headmaster's return. Alarm quickly surfaced and the female wolf hastily said that Dumbledore was all right. Snape frowned, then questioned just who it was that Fenix was Healing. 

__

: It's Ron's brother, : the female wolf answered tiredly. _: He was already injured from broken bones but when his dragon lost control, his already-splintered bones fragmented further. : _

: Is it serious? Complications? : Snape questioned her as he stood up. The wolf gave an unmistakable nod. Somehow, the news that Wind slipped in passing about Charlie's dragon went unnoticed by the Potions Master. 

__

: Why don't you go up and wait on her? : Silver suggested then cast a thoughtful glance at the werewolf. _: And I hope that she gets her job done soon before her partner arouses. :_

__

What is it about couples? Snape thought in aggravation. 

**********

****

Seventeen minutes after six o'clock. 

Snape had taken a hot shower and was already on his way to the hospital wing, his right hand holding up his sandwich while his left was holding a medium-sized flask containing hot chocolate, just in case the Fire Master needed something to perk her up. 

He finished his light breakfast just as he reached the last flight of stairs leading to the infirmary. It was then that he saw the Fire Master sitting wearily in a corner. He ran up the steps briskly and hastily placed his flask on the floor and gathered the small woman in his arms. He frowned when he felt the heat emanating out from her body and was not surprised to see her exhausted face. 

__

: Fenix, if you are weary, why didn't you make use of the beds in the ward? : the Potions Master chided her gently. 

The Fire Master gave him a sheepish chuckle. _: I know, Sev. But I'm likely to end up giving Mineif more trouble if I stayed in there. I'm more likely to give out what I don't have to Charlie or the injured. : _

Snape shook his head helplessly and reached out for the flask containing the hot drink. He urged her to take a sip and was pleased when she looked at him gratefully. She slowly took a drink from the flask when Moody appeared. 

"You wanted to see me?" the ex-Auror looked curiously at the two people sitting on the landing. 

"Yeah, I did," Fenix answered. "The Weasleys are coming over soon but what I want you to do is to meet up with Tonks, Ash and the Grangers."

Moody raised an eyebrow. "What on earth for?" 

"I'm not exactly positive," the Fire Master said slowly, "but I want you to check up on Percy." 

"What's with him?" Snape asked her sharply.

"It is Mrs. Weasley. She was babbling something about him in an accident to Meridien– she's one of the Sylphs that's helping out in The Burrow. What worries me is that an accident did happen an hour ago near the area that Percy had made his home," she informed the two men and Moody nodded gravely and finally went out of sight as he descended the staircase. 

__

: By the way, how is Dumbledore? And the Weasley? : Snape questioned her in an anxious mindvoice as he helped her up to her feet. 

__

: Dumbledore's suffering from mild arthritis but they're all right. Charlie will regain his consciousness in about two or three days, : she informed him, leaning against his comforting strength. She had to admit to herself that she was not feeling exactly at her best and depended on him to guide her as they slowly walked down the staircase. 

Sending out a brief mental probe, she sighed with relief when she found that Remus was still fast asleep. Halfway to the Hall, Snape stopped and pulled her around to give her a warm embrace. 

__

Huh? Fenix blinked her eyes in surprise and blushed when she felt him leaning forward and gave her forehead a gentle kiss. _: What brought that on? : _she asked the Potions Master curiously. He however, gave her a crooked grin and left her question unanswered. They tiptoed into the Hall, but Fenix could not help giving baffled glances at him and she was already feeling wide awake by the small distraction. Snape watched her fondly as she crawled back to her place. _: Sev... :_ She gave him a pleading look but he smirked and left the Hall to see the Headmaster. 

__

: Am I in trouble or something? : she asked her Elementals but they were as baffled as she was. Sighing, she lifted her partner's arm and let it rest on her waist. The sleeping werewolf almost instantly pulled her closer and she snuggled against him in sheer bliss. 

**********

****

Half past ten. 

Harry finally roused and his accidental movement made his oathbrother grumble sleepily in complaint. Without opening his eyes, he listened for the sounds of activities in the Hall. Snores could still be heard and he wondered if they would be having their classes that day. _I don't think it's raining. There's no thunder or the smell of rain... _He turned and the light from the window caused him to open his eyes. From the angle that the beams of sunlight were shining upon them, Harry knew that all of them were having a major case of oversleeping. 

__

Most of us are probably dead tired after all the excitement from the past week or so. Hell, I'm getting hungry. Is Dumbledore back? He stretched on the bed and popped several joints noisily and Draco suddenly sat up, looking murderously at the green-eyed boy. 

__

: What? : Harry asked innocently, seeing only the blurred outline of the Slytherin. 

A lot of things were running in a fast mode in Draco's mind and he sighed heavily, feeling grouchy of not being able to continue sleeping. _: Nothing. :_ The Slytherin looked about him, wondering where his godfather had disappeared to, seeing that the space beside Harry's godfather was empty. _: What's the time now? : _

: It's ten-thirty, : his oathbrother answered, after he had put on his glasses that had been left lying behind his pillow while he slept, then looked at his pocket watch. Draco mumbled a thanks. He suddenly felt the need to go and visit the restroom and got up to his feet lazily. He was still feeling groggy and accidentally bumped into someone wearing a pale yellow witch-robe. The Slytherin blinked his eyes in confusion and a name finally flashed into his mind as he stared at her. It was Mrs. Weasley and she was looking at him uncertainly. Obviously, she was not able to recognize him being a Malfoy. 

"Are Ron and Ginny still asleep?" the plump woman asked him and he nodded curtly. The Slytherin examined the witch almost habitually, noting that the dress she was wearing was rather rumpled and her hair was in disarray. He managed to stop himself from sneering at her in disdain and finally decided to call his oathbrother to welcome her. Mrs. Weasley was looking very haggard, and she looked as if she could do with a week's rest, not doing anything else but sleep. Mrs. Weasley seemed to have lost a bit of weight too. 

**********

Harry immediately got up to his feet and woke Ron up, hastily telling his best friend that his mother was outside with the Slytherin. 

"Bloody hell..." Ron muttered, struggling to wake Hermione up and at the same time trying to extract himself from the blankets that his friend had conjured up on them to keep warm. 

"Mrs. Weasley!" Harry gasped when Ron's mother suddenly flung herself at him. 

"Oh Harry! I was so worried about you!" she cried out, relieved that he was looking fine to her. 

Draco watched the two in amusement and the need to relieve himself became more urgent. He winked at Harry, much to the surprise of Ron's mother and he disappeared down the narrow staircase into the dungeons. 

Harry gave a fond smile at Mrs. Weasley, deciding to keep about his oathbond with Draco a secret from her a little longer. Commotion from inside the Hall made him look over his shoulder and tall, gangly Ron ran forth. 

"MOM!" Ginny squealed happily and quickly went to embrace her mother. 

**********

****

Sixteen minutes to noon.

The werewolf was sipping on his coffee as he watched the sleeping Fenix with veiled concern, listening attentively to Mrs. Weasley as she informed them of the happenings in the wizarding world outside Hogwarts. She however, did not mention a single thing about her dreams of Percy and Ron seemed to forget that they had yet to introduce the Slytherin to the 'family'. It felt strange and empty to them without the Potions Master around to add in his sardonic comments. 

The Potions Master was still up in the infirmary and they wondered what Mineif wanted with Snape. Mrs. Weasley was waiting anxiously for Moody or the Elementals with news as she listened distractedly to Ginny's account of the encounter with giants and Heliopaths. But she totally skipped those parts about Harry's new gift and again, she had completely forgotten about Draco. 

Remus was trailing his fingers dreamily along Fenix's chin and he knew that she had been using her Gift of Healing. He felt a little hurt that she had left his side during the morning and was stunned periodically by Snape. 

"Moony?" Sirius looked curiously at his best friend's stunned expression. 

"It's nothing..." Remus answered in a distracted tone. _: What's that for, Severus? : _

: You're being illogically angry at Fenix. : 

: When on earth did I say I am angry with her? : he asked the Potions Master sharply.

Snape walked in through the Hall, nodding his head occasionally to the students who greeted him, and gave a patronizing look at Remus. He dropped the subject and asked Mrs. Weasley. "Has Moody returned?" he inquired the witch but she shook her head. The Potions Master frowned at Remus. _: Are you sure she is still breathing? It's unlike her to sleep this late, : _he asked the werewolf, looking worriedly at Fenix. 

Sirius narrowed his eyes as he looked at them, not really liking the fact that he was excluded from the conversation. Then he heard his oathsister's mindvoice echoed sleepily.

__

: I am all right, just in need of a bit more sleep. And keep it down, will you? : The Fire Master had not moved an inch as she spoke into their minds, eyelids not even twitching. 

__

: What have you been doing to yourself this time? : Sirius interrogated her in a strict tone. 

__

: I had been Healing Charlie, and I'm fairly drained I admit, : she answered and the link became inactive as she fell asleep. 

While the three men were busy looking and examining the exhausted Fire Master, another silent conversation was taking place and Harry's slight shake of his head ended the discussion. The two youths were sparing themselves mayhem by not telling their company of their midnight excursion. 

Cadriel, who was having his lunch with a nice-looking Hufflepuff senior suddenly stopped eating and frowned when he heard the clamor that was made by the Elementals. Evidently, Fenix too had heard the sudden noise and growled in her sleep. She tiredly rubbed her forehead and opened her eyes. 

__

: Hello Molly, : she greeted when she caught sight of the witch. Mrs. Weasley's eyes misted and began profusely thanking the Fire Master for helping to Heal her son. Fenix gave the woman an embarrassed smile and she looked at her oathbrother for help. 

Sirius just gave her a lofty look_. : You were really being helpful so bravely deal the consequences that come after. :_

: You're being mean. : Fenix finally sat up on the pallet, unconsciously rubbing her ribs. Her eyes took on a distant look as she listened to her Elementals. "Moody's back," she said after a moment of concentration. 

Mrs. Weasley was up on her feet within seconds when she saw the ex-Auror snaking his way to get to their group. Moody spoke to the witch in soft undertones and they saw her paled, starting to tremble as he confirmed the news that her third son had indeed been involved in an accident. 

"Ash is seeing to the arrangements of getting Percy into Hogwarts for observation, though I have no idea why he shouldn't be transferred in Mungo's," he said, casting a significant look at Fenix, who shrugged. "Molly..." Moody shook his head when the motherly witch started crying. "Percy's all right, nothing as complicated as Charlie's injuries," he said as he patted her shoulder awkwardly.

__

"But he did get himself into an accident!" Mrs. Weasley wailed. Moody sighed. 

**********

****

Wednesday, 14th November. In the evening.

Percy had been safely transferred into the hospital wing earlier that morning and was evidently well enough to start a conversation, especially with his mother. Ron and Ginny were still being stubbornly unfriendly to their brother and they watched him continuously sniveling, begging her for forgiveness. Mrs. Weasley was more than a happy woman when she saw that her son had finally came to his senses. By early afternoon, the entire Weasley clan was inside Hogwarts to visit the injured ones, but they were especially worried about the dragon keeper. Like his dragon, Charlie was still unconscious. 

They all had gone down to the Hall for a brief lunch, but Bill seemed to have other things in mind. So while the Hall erupted into friendly chaos with the twins about, who had brought treats for the students, Bill had snuck past the company and headed up to the infirmary on his own. None of them was aware that he possessed a deathly, cold nature until they went up to the ward and unfortunately intruded on the heavy-duty verbal lashing he was passionately giving to Percy.

Mrs. Weasley who was lagging behind the group as she talked to Sirius was pulled away swiftly by her daughter and Hermione, whose faces were flaming. "Girls!" Mrs. Weasley had exclaimed and stared at her husband in complete bafflement. Mr. Weasley was looking shaky and he was very pale, and she was half-afraid to ask him what went wrong. Those who knew about the miniature verbal war in the ward kept Mrs. Weasley occupied for an hour before Fenix gave them the signal that all was clear. She wore a faintly amused look and informed Harry and his oathbrother that Dumbledore was absolutely shocked to overhear some of the words that had left Bill's mouth. 

The Headmaster was having a fit of coughs as they entered the ward. He was being examined by the Elven Lord, who was also giving the man his prescriptions. The twins were looking at Percy and they were so full of glee that both Fenix and Ginny could not resist the temptation of pinching the cheeky twins. Percy was holding up an aura of shame while Bill looked totally calm, and was being his sweet, charming self. He only gave his father a sidelong look when the latter stammered something to him about watching his language. 

Evening finally arrived and both Sirius and Snape had ordered Fenix to take a complete break from her duties, and the Potions Master told her privately that she ought to spend some time entertaining her partner. And that was what she was doing, looking at her partner with her silver, lupine eyes. Her partner was totally unclothed and she waited patiently for his transformation to take place. _Dear gods, this man is just beautiful,_ she thought mischievously to herself. _I am glad that he isn't as lean as Sirius or as muscular as Sev, though you really can't tell by the way that he is dressed up._ She smiled to herself, remembering that impromptu moment when Snape had embraced her without warning. Then her thoughts wandered and she cursed heatedly to herself, borrowing some of the creative words that she heard from Bill. _Dear Phoebus! What in hell is wrong with me? I must be going crazy that I find my Remus's chest absolutely tantalizing!_

__

: Lover... : Remus's thought floated into her mind. _: I'm ready. : _

She stopped her daydreaming and watched her partner carefully, especially his facial expression and body language. The twitching began and he knelt on the floor, feeling the anatomical and physical changes of his body. His transformation was no longer a pain for him and it took him only twelve minutes to complete his transformation. He gave himself one final shake, loose fur floated about him, catching the moonlight coming in from the window. He leapt onto the bed. The two were completely alone– minus the ever-present Elementals– since the pair of genuine wolves were hanging out with Aldren.

Remus purred deeply in his throat, rubbing his snout along her muzzle and cheek, really pleased with how she smelled to him. The deep, vibrating hums from her actually caused him to go wild and he gave her a playful nip under her neck. Hence, their friendly, fortnight wrestles commenced to get their blood pumping, along with other emotions. 

**********

****

In the infirmary.

Percy still had not quite recovered from Bill's intense scolding. When he saw a strutting, black-haired young man, plainly dressed in Slytherin robe coming forward and insinuated himself into Harry's company with plain ease, he became totally numb. And when Ron sheepishly began informing his mother that Harry had taken an oathbond with the Slytherin, who was the former son of Lucius Malfoy and the one named Draco, Percy was struck speechless. Mrs. Weasley looked utterly dumbfounded that Harry had the guts to establish the bond with someone like Draco. 

Only the twins seemed unsurprised by the news, since Charlie had told them of it months ago. Ginny was hanging over Charlie when she heard the Keeper mumbled something unintelligible. She decided not to tell anyone just yet and leaned closer to catch his words. 

__

"Why did... cut?... I like it long. Reminds me of someone," Charlie paused and Ginny strained her hearing to listen to his whispers. _"Yes Allaina... love... too."_

Ginny blinked her eyes twice before looking around for Mineif. The Elven Lord looked inquiringly at her. "Is it natural if he talks in his sleep?" she asked as she pointed at Charlie. That captured Mineif's attention and he quickly went over to her side. 

After spending a few minutes to give the Weasley a thorough checkup, he finally told the anxious company that Charlie was well on the way to recovery. The twins unobtrusively closed in on their sister. Fred nudged her gently to gain her attention and George whispered into her ear. "What was Charlie mumbling about?" 

"I think he really does have a sweetie," she whispered back and Fred struggled to contain his mirth. The twins started to grin devilishly and she backed away from them slowly, intent on not getting herself into trouble by more of the twins' schemes. 

McGonagall appeared into the ward and determinedly made her way to see the resting Headmaster. Not liking the fierceness lurking deeply in her eyes, Dumbledore decided to cheat, hoping to make the Transfigurations teacher forget her intentions. He summoned Harry and Draco over to his bed.

Harry looked uneasily at his oathbrother as they approached the Headmaster. Dumbledore spoke up before McGonagall had a chance to begin her chastisement. "The two of you have acted far too recklessly for my comforts. Harry, I thought you were drained by that encounter with Tom. And Draco, for being a Slytherin _and_ his oathbrother, I had thought you were wise enough not to listen to a reckless Gryffindor."

Both youths blanched and it certainly did not occur to them that the Headmaster would be the one to spill the beans about their midnight adventure. 

"What are you saying, Dumbledore?" Snape questioned the Headmaster, his bright black eyes not leaving Draco's face. 

"As I have suspected," Dumbledore leaned back on his pillow, looking calmly at the Potions Master. "This two have acted on their own to carry out a rescue mission," and he began explaining about the troublesome flock that had hindered their retreat two nights ago. Mrs. Weasley paled and their godfathers fumed.

"Ten points off Slytherin!" Sirius thundered.

And at the same time, Snape hissed, "Ten points from Gryffindor!" 

"And twenty points off from each of you," Dumbledore said gravely. "You will serve detention for the next two weeks down in the dungeons. Professor Snape and Sirius will supervise both of you."

"And that means no Quidditch practice, Potter, Draco," Snape's eyes glinted. 

"Both of us are going to put the two of you into manual labor that you would not have the time or strength for mischief," Sirius added cruelly. 

McGonagall was looking very annoyed and she stared at the two boys fiercely. 

"Shit..." Draco muttered softly.

"Fifty points each!" she said in a tight voice. "I am absolutely sure that the Headmaster and his cohorts would have been in much more serious conditions had you not helped them to guard their backs," she continued, her eyes flashing dangerously when Snape was about to make a protest regarding the house-points. 

__

: At least they don't know of our actions about the crystals, : Draco sent a reassuring thought to Harry. 

Sirius flopped sulkily into a chair, scowling blackly at Harry, whose shoulders slumped in defeat when the Black began to lecture and presumably, Draco was subjected to the same treatment by his own godfather. 

"Now Albus," McGonagall started in a sweet voice and she gave the wizard a lecture and finally administered his punishment that had been postponed. She had obviously done something very professionally as they were unable to track or detect if she had hexed the Headmaster. Fawkes, who was perching on a chair, started fluttering about on his perch and it gave Harry the distinct impression that the phoenix was amused and was not moving about in agitation. Whatever it was that the Transfigurations teacher had done, it evidently worked as they saw the Headmaster's face turned bright crimson and he coughed to hide his embarrassment. 

McGonagall made a patronizing sound at the back of her throat and regally exited out of the infirmary, leaving the wing to the Weasleys, the teachers and students who were visiting the invalid. 

**********


	65. A Gown, A Portrait & A Dance

****

~ Chapter 65: A Gown, A Portrait & A Dance ~

Winter

Soft snow continued to descend over the castle of Hogwarts, dotting the remaining greenery around it, giving the place an ancient look, like that of a very colorful yet melancholy painting. The surface of the lake was solidly frozen and two wolves were running on it, skidding and landing on their rumps occasionally as they were chased playfully by a group of owls in the soft, hazy light of an early winter morning. 

Charlie, Percy, Aberforth and the McNoels had healed nicely to the relief of everyone and had already gone back to resume their responsibilities. Hogwarts had already started their lessons again and the Headmaster had withdrawn his decision of cancelling the exams. Ginny had cried for two nights straight when she found out from Fenix that she had to sit for her OWLs after all. 

It was Dumbledore's subtle revenge when at least eighteen percent of those living in Hogwarts had found out what McGonagall had said to him, not verbally of course. It was the night when the Headmaster had fallen asleep that the twins had crept back into the hospital wing to investigate. They had silently used a Revealing Charm and faint silver phrases had slowly materialized over the Headmaster's bed. The written words were: 

__

Thank you for trying to distract me Albus, but I am in my worst of moods and I have no time to put up with your outrageous behavior. The first issue I'd really like to address is this 'Headmistress' idea. For the _last time, I am denying this offer and I will remain as the Transfigurations teacher and Head of Gryffindor House until Mr. Black is ready to take my place and I'm ready for retirement. Second issue: Stop being a blockhead. Even if Hogwarts need a new principal, you should at least get someone younger than I. Three: Stop acting like a man in your prime and continuously getting yourself into more mischief. I'm just too fond of you to lose you to an ex-student who can't see through the grayness of life. And you're lucky that I am doing this rather the more embarrassing alternatives. _

And then faded orange words replaced the silver. _And what if this spell hadn't been invented Minerva? _

Words in silver slowly appeared but it was very faint and the Weasley twins had a bit of trouble trying to discern the message. _Then I guess I have to let you know of my great disapproval in a more physical approach. _

And the twins had run like crazy, back to Harry and his friends after they had made sure that they had wiped out their own trace of magic. But, Dumbledore _is_ still the greatest magician and obviously he was aware of the twins' mischief. 

The students were also given the green sign that they could all sleep in their own dormitories once more but Harry's company occasionally barged into Sirius/Remus/Fenix/Snape's quarters to camp and they refused to budge. The activities that resulted from the infrequent camps differed. Compared to the other three, the Potions Master was truly on the studious side and made the students (and the three teachers) study whatever he conjured up for them. 

If they went into Fenix's, they would have a general campfire gathering, cracking lame jokes, singing. The Fire Master was mystified when Harry confessed that he quite liked the lyrics of some of the Linkin Park's songs and she asked in a curious tone as to why he hadn't tuned to the radio and Sirius explained to her that Harry's caretakers saw no reason why the boy should listen to the radio or TV. Fenix had blinked her eyes and found it incomprehensible that a teenager like Harry had not been given the freedom of a normal teenage kid and she scoffed at Harry when the green-eyed boy mildly pointed out that he was anything but _normal_. But the real entertainment absolutely came from the two Masters of different disciplines. Fenix would all of a sudden rattled off an insult to Snape (Harry noted that most of her remarks smacked a dead center at the Potions Master's prominent nose) and fencing would begin between the two and ended up in creating hexes on each other.

If they happened to go into Sirius's, major wizarding chess tournaments would take place and Snape delighted at having beaten Fenix four out of five games and ended up flinging more hexes at a very mad Fire Master. However, they got themselves a surprise when they decided it was certainly the werewolf's turn to host them. Fenix and the students had found that it was very difficult for them to sleep, fearing that they would dream of flying heads with entrails dangling from it. Remus absolutely loved the way that they had reacted to his ghost stories that he had collected over the years. The stories that scared them most were the ones that came from Asia and the werewolf actually took the effort to create sound and visual effects to complement his story telling. Fenix was absolutely terrified one night, refusing to go into a dark bathroom after one of her partner's chilling tales of a bathroom that was haunted by a newborn child. 

Once, the females had been totally engrossed in Remus's storytelling that Snape (he had felt extremely vexed when Fenix flaunted off a sketch of a Potions Master who was wearing nothing on his upper body and she shamelessly showed off his shoulders and chest to everyone, including her partner, on the second last Friday of November) actually conjured three big fat cockroaches that quickly zoomed into the bedroom and targeted the three females.

Their yells had been so loud that the people from the Astronomy Tower actually heard their frightened, horrified squeals and... several more explosions erupted. That incident with the cockroaches had not worn off and the Potions Master frequently teased Fenix of her childish fear. Those were the bright incidents that filled their souls ever since snow fell from the heavens to touch the earth. 

The dark side of things was of the sudden disappearances of Voldemort and his lot. The Elementals had one day found that they were no longer able to spy or track the Dark Lord down. Harry had humbly volunteered to open himself up to trace Voldemort. Three men and one woman looked at him as though he had grown another head and Snape gave him one of his typical greasy, sly, feigned sweet smiles. 

"You really want the extra Advanced Potions tutorial that badly, Potter?"

Harry had sighed and did not offer any more help. The two weeks of detention he had served with his oathbrother was more than enough to make him determined not to ever offer to be an assistant to the Potions Master. Draco however seemed to enjoy in dissecting the rats to get their spleen out and removing their small black eyes from their sockets. 

Over the course of days ever since classes had resumed, Snape and Draco had become quite inseparable. If the Slytherin wasn't with Fenix discussing about magical theories, or if he wasn't hanging out in the company of his friends, he was closeted with his godfather, learning more about the essence of Potions making. 

The wolves on the lake halted and stared at the sky above them, and decided that it was time for them to stop playing and get themselves into the warmth of a lazy, calm and protected castle.

**********

****

Friday, 7th December. Three in the afternoon. 

Draco was hastily keeping his materials back into his school bag and knocked down his cauldron accidentally. The youth swore as he quickly straightened his cauldron back onto its stand. Fortunately for him, his cauldron was devoid of any potions. He was late; he had promised Harry that he would be released from his godfather's grasp at two-thirty but he was already thirty minutes late. 

__

"BLAST IT!" he screamed as he tripped on a chair. Snape looked up from his scroll, his face clearly showing his annoyance although he felt a little amused over his godson's use of words. That was one of Fenix's most commonly uttered phrases when she's angered or exasperated other than 'Bloody hell', 'Damnation', 'Dear Phoebus' and certainly not forgetting 'You damn, stupid, idiotic Black-haired grizzly!'. Of course, that's exclusively for her oathbrother and the Potions Master's lips involuntarily curled into a sneer. 

__

: Why are you in such a hurry? : Snape asked his godson. _: There's no Quidditch practice today. : _

: I know that, : Draco answered in an irritated mindvoice, cursed at his clumsiness again and was gone from the classroom in a flash. 

__

I wonder why he is excited over a small thing, Snape thought to himself. 

"A small thing?" a silvery, airy voice emerged from behind him. "Then who was it who kept criticizing, _'Black, you're making her look like a witch from Knockturn Alley, Fenix is no old hag'_ and bla bla bla?" Aelwyn the Sylph asked him archly. 

Snape sighed then scowled furiously at Sirius who had let himself into the classroom without a prior knock. "I don't suppose it will occur to you that I might be still in the middle of my work that can be a health hazard to one that is unprepared?" he asked the handsome Black in a dangerous tone.

"Save your smart comments, Snivellus," Sirius replied abruptly. "I am in no mood to play and we only have less than five days to complete that portrait." Snape raised an eyebrow at the Black's anxiousness. 

The Potions Master made a small sound and began to stack his papers neatly on his desk before standing up and pushed his chair in quietly. The Black was waiting impatiently outside the classroom and Snape took a moment to lock the door. The two wizards then walked quickly toward one of the dungeon that was in fact, the dungeon where Harry and Draco had their conversation on the night that they had nearly lost the Fire Master. 

Snape tapped his wand against the door and upon hearing a click, they quickly disappeared into its dark interior. Sirius hastily conjured up huge, bright candles and it lit the cave in brilliant golden shades. Huge scrolls of white paper were scattered all over the room and the Potions Master stared about him in distaste before his eyes rested angrily at Sirius's head. Snape began collecting the rejected scrolls and placed them in a corner of the room although he knew that Sirius would scatter another bunch of rejects later. The Black was already working on a huge, fresh piece of drawing paper and the Potions Master left the drawing to him and he went over to his own work area and began shaving the wooden frame.

**********

Making sure that he was unseen by the others, Draco quickly opened the door and went in. 

"You're late," his oathbrother said in a distracted voice. The Slytherin just snorted and dropped his bag on the couch and took off his school robe. While the corridors had been chilly, the Room of Requirement was heated to comfortable warmth. He took a moment to stare at a gilded glass and stared at his hair in disappointment. Pale, and blond roots were more than visible now. He sighed and went over to his oathbrother who was deftly using the simple sewing machine. 

"Okay." Draco took a deep breath as he watched Harry skillfully sew the two pieces of fabric together. "One: How on earth did you manage to get thing working?" he asked as he looked over Harry's shoulder in wonder. "And two: Why did you the white silk over the blue?" 

Harry waited until he had finished with the blouse before he handed the article to the Slytherin. "The machine needed a little magic to get a boost up and everything went smoothly from there. Though I had to read that book," he was staring at a brown hardcovered book, "to learn about what I had to do when I come to the edge of the fabric." He watched the Slytherin thoughtfully, finally noticing that his oathbrother's blond hair was coming back. "As to your second question, I rather like the contrast and I think she'll look good in it," he answered the Slytherin. 

"But you know that the white part can get rather translucent and I don't think her partner would like her to show it off all that much," Draco said doubtfully as he checked every inch of the blouse and was making sure that Harry had made perfect holes on the back to let the piece of lace through. He suddenly peered into the interior of the blouse and unexpectedly blushed. "Green-Eyes," he addressed his oathbrother in an uncertain voice. "What is this?"

Harry tilted his head and looked inquisitively at his oathbrother before he looked to what that had captured the Draco's fascination. Harry made a soft noise of impatience. "You perfectly know what _that_ is," he said in an annoyed tone. "_You _were the one who designed the low neckline so that she would show off her shoulders. You can't really expect her to go braless now, do you?" 

"Harry!" his oathbrother exclaimed, his face flushing painfully with embarrassment at the green-eyed youth's casual use of terms. 

"Let me see that," someone else said and a pair of hand pulled the blouse and began to examine it. "How remarkable," the werewolf's soft hazel eyes twinkled gently with amusement. "I don't recall telling her size to you."

Harry managed to keep his impassive expression but Draco was clearly flustered and Remus looked at him quizzically. "Grow up kid," the werewolf said lightly. "The day that you have to deal with this particular kind of stuff isn't too far off," he continued in a rather smug tone.

"Bloody hell..." Draco grabbed the blouse and he headed off to the comfortable oversized couch and began his embroidering. Remus snorted with laughter before he stared piercingly at the green-eyed Gryffindor. 

"I have a favor to ask you," he said quietly. 

"Oh?" Harry gave him a curious look. "What?"

"Don't make the skirt too long that she'll trip on it."

Harry gave him a sidelong glance as he picked the parts of an un-sewn skirt. "I guess that's fair since you were the one who had purchased the bolts of cloth." He smiled at the werewolf. "Don't worry Professor." 

**********

A look at the clock told her that it was seventy minutes before dinner. She stared at the piece of floating silver with sheer concentration and began to shape it. When she was satisfied that it was shaped perfectly, she began cooling the metal so that she could start on her engraving.

The Fire Master paused for a moment to grab a towel to wipe the sweat of her face and took off her shirt. _I certainly had forgotten how hot it can be when I take part in this._ She tested the strength of the silver and found it was able to cope with the stress she was about to inflict on it without being broken to several pieces. She conjured up a fine-tipped chisel and let her imagination carry her away as she slowly cast an image onto the half-finished bracelet. _I hope it would be the last time that I have to repeat the procedure. _It had taken her longer than a week to get a perfect-sized bracelet and she was now praying that she won't mess it up as she carves. 

**********

****

Sunday, 9th November. Early afternoon.

Fenix sighed and gave Remus a light kiss on the arm that was holding her. She gave a small yawn and turned so that she was able to look directly into his eyes. 

__

: What are you looking at? : he asked her softly.

__

: You. : She smiled as her partner chuckled. _Thank goodness that I have finished that bracelet. Well... not quite finished, I guess. I still have to cast that spell on it. _She flinched when her partner trailed his finger lightly at her side. _: Stop that! That tickles! :_

The werewolf gave her a warm laugh as he hugged her, nuzzling at her neck. She purred in contentment and sighed dreamily when he loosened his hold on her. 

__

: I wonder what my oathbrother is up to, : she commented and stared at the bedroom ceiling. "He has rarely barged in on us this week. Not that I have a complaint or anything," she added hastily when the werewolf gave her a steady gaze. _But so are the kids and Sev too, for that matter. Something fishy is definitely up._

**********

****

Down at the sub-level.

Snape stood before the five feet tall sketch and saw that he couldn't find anything to criticize, not even the Black's usage of the plethora of colors. _Although I think that the background is too colorful for my taste but I love the way Black had painted her hair. _He was still looking at the way the black hair seemed to move under the flickering of the huge candles over their heads. 

"So, how is it?" Sirius asked eagerly, trying not to show his anxiousness.

The Potions Master ignored the Black for a moment to choose his words carefully and decided on simple terms. "It's fine."

"Only _'fine'_?" Harry's godfather looked belligerently and Snape made a sound so thick with irritation. 

"Then what on Merlin's world were you expecting me to say, Black?" Snape hissed. "Pile you massively with extravagant compliments. Prostrate myself to you for your goddamn brilliant handiwork?" 

"Why don't you do that?" Sirius taunted the Potions Master with an arrogant sneer. The Black was too shocked to react when Snape grabbed him by his collar and slammed the stunned wizard against the wall. He realized he had made the wrong move, and the Potions Master's anger, annoyance, self-disgust began to insert themselves into Sirius's mind as Snape's mindvoice echoed loudly. 

__

: I didn't know that she could look splendid in green! Although it doesn't match her eyes, her black hair highlighted the fact. And you were kind enough to paint her with a warm smile that reached her eyes! : The Potions Master switched to speak his thoughts verbally and continued for about fifteen minutes until he ran out of words to say. He gave Sirius one last disgusted look before he turned and began to place the sketch onto its frame. 

Sirius took a deep breath and straightened his shirt and stared at the glossy black cloak shrouded on Snape's shoulders in mild shock, trying to regain his composure after he was subjected to the Potions Master's sudden tirade. 

"You did quite well yourself," Sirius commented in a small voice and Snape pretended that he hadn't heard the Black. 

**********

****

In the Room of Requirement.

Draco groaned and straightened his back but the ache on his shoulders and back remained. "Green-Eyes, I really need that massage now!"

Harry let out a string of curses as he accidentally pricked his finger deeply, completely startled by his oathbrother's sudden words. "Be patient!" he snapped and returned to his embroidery.

The Slytherin glowered as he looked at the Gryffindor, who was bent over the gown's hem and was making the final touch-up stitches. Harry's messy black hair was back and Draco decided it was definitely time for his oathbrother to get a haircut from Fenix and Aldren. The Slytherin clenched his jaws tightly and tried to concentrate on his own stitching but gave when his backache intensified. 

Harry gave him an unfriendly look and finished off the Slytherin's half-done work. Draco quickly made use of the couch and lied down, willing his muscles to relax. He realized that he had dozed off when his oathbrother shook him awake and showed off their finished product. 

The green-eyed youth stared at the gown intensely and to Draco's amazement, the gown began to inflate, looking as though someone was wearing it and _twirled_. "I have to admit it now, Green-Eyes, that your idea of using that white silk on the chest was a brilliant idea," the Slytherin said grudgingly and Harry put on a look that signified, '_I told you it would work.'_. 

"And I am glad you decided not to stitch mini-phoenixes all about the sleeves, but what is _this_?" Harry asked his oathbrother, staring curiously at the spirals and knots weaving about each other. 

"I have absolutely no idea," Draco conceded and Harry stared at him.

"But then how did they all turn out uniform?" 

"As I have said Green-Eyes, I don't have any idea of how it happened that way."

Harry was still staring at him in disbelief but scowled when the Slytherin spoke up in a commanding voice, "About that massage. Why don't you give me one _now_?" Harry gazed at him icily, his expression hostile. "Hey, a deal is a deal and you've got it all down in writing. I did help you out with your Potions on Wednesday," he pointed out and sniggered when Harry swore creatively. 

**********

****

Tuesday, 11th December. Early evening.

It had taken the werewolf a bit of heavy-duty planning to free himself from Snape and Fenix's attention and he was on his way up to the seventh floor to meet the youngsters. Fighting against his instinct (he was doing some ridiculous stuff like sneaking and god help him if Moody happen to see him acting queerly), he crept along the corridor silently until he came to a dark brown door and rapped on it. It immediately swung open and the werewolf was pulled into the room. 

"Why had you taken so long to come up here?" Harry asked him rudely. Remus gave him a faintly amused look and went to where Draco was holding up the gown for him. 

__

Who would have thought the two would be able to accomplish something like this without even the help of magic? And they did something that was best left to the girls. He smiled faintly and couldn't stop fantasizing on how his partner would look with the gown on her small body. 

"Thank you," the werewolf said softly and the youths grinned widely, feeling pleased that the D.A.D.A. professor had found the gown to his taste. He left the two to wrap the gift up and to present the gift to the Fire Master. 

**********

****

Eleven p.m.

Harry slipped on his Invisibility Cloak as he crawled out of the common room and waved at Ron who gave him a thumbs-up sign as the portrait swung close. He went down the staircases as quietly as possible and finally reached the portrait that Draco had shown him three days earlier. "Demeanor," he whispered and the portrait opened very slowly and Harry went through. Harry had to go directly to the front of the portrait that led to the Slytherin common room then swore softly when he saw the shadow of a cat enlarged by a bright lamp that was approaching the area when he was. 

Having no way of escaping from the two prowling patrollers, Harry used his gift of Illusion to mask his presence and snuffed his scent from the environment. Harry held his breath. The minutes slowly trickled by and let out a sigh of relief when Mrs. Norris and Filch strode past him without a backward glance. 

__

: Drake, : he called out to the Slytherin. 

Ten minutes later, the oathbrothers were slowly sneaking up to the Fire Master's office. When they turned into a corner that would lead them to the row of quarters, one handsome, violet-eyed elf blocked their way. 

__

: Bloody hell... : the Slytherin said in a mindvoice tinged with resignation as Aldren stared at them coldly.

__

: Might one ask if the school rules about loitering out after nine had been suspended while I'm sleeping? : Aldren asked the oathbrothers archly. 

__

: Yes, it has been suspended, : Draco answered in a dry tone, well aware that the elves rarely sleep unless they feel like it. Like Dumbledore and Moody, the elves seemed capable of looking through any disguises.

__

: No manners, this one, : the elf shook his head reproachfully at the Slytherin. _: She is still awake by the way, : _Aldren informed them and continued to make his rounds. 

__

: That guy scared me, : Draco looked back at Aldren before looking into his oathbrother's eyes.

__

: Well, let's get to her quickly before someone higher up discover us, : Harry responded nervously. Draco nodded and his green-eyed counterpart sent a thought to Fenix and the door was opened. She stood and stared the vacant corridor. Her right arm darted out and she poked Draco at his side. Harry began to hit his oathbrother on his head repeatedly for yelling aloud and the Slytherin was trying to pacify the green-eyed Gryffindor with apologies. 

__

: What in hell are you two doing out here? : Fenix asked dangerously. 

__

: We wanted to see and say something before everyone else does, : Draco answered easily as he emerged from the protection of the cloak and ushered the mystified Fire Master back into her office. 

Harry closed the door behind him and threw the cloak onto an unoccupied chair. "What? Your partner isn't here with you?" he remarked slyly and laughed when Fenix gave him a sour look.

"Careful Harry. I am a teacher and I _was_ a Slytherin. I might decide to knock off some points."

"That's a great idea!" Draco said brightly as he thought about the prospect of Slytherin winning the House Cup for the first time ever since The Boy Who Lived had been enrolled into Hogwarts. Fenix stared sternly at the Slytherin.

"Watch it Drake, or I'll recruit Sirius to give you detention and make you do more pushups," she said and the Slytherin blanched, remembering how painful his shoulders and biceps had felt after the two weeks of detention given by Dumbledore. 

"Ah... no thanks Fenix," he responded in a timid voice.

"Here. Open this." Harry held the package and she accepted it, looking suspiciously at them. 

A note fell out as she carefully opened the wrapping and was about to read it when Harry stopped her, saying that she needed to see what's inside the package first and she gave in to the youth's wish. 

__

It looks like a scarf, Fenix mused then frowned as she lifted the article from its paper wrappings. _But a scarf doesn't have stitches and bra-pads. _She stared stupidly at the gift in shock as it unfolded to reveal a solid blue-white gown. She alternated her stunned eyes between the gown and the two boys who were smiling tenderly at her. 

__

: Happy birthday, Fenix, : said both of the oathbrothers. 

The Fire Master felt horribly stunned. _Did they make a gown just for my birthday? _A voice screamed inside her head loudly. 

Draco chuckled and remarked, "She doesn't seem capable to handle the truth that we had made it for her, Green-Eyes." 

Harry was grinning widely at her and she wordlessly went to the two taller boys to give them a hug. They stayed in that threefold bear-hug for several minutes before she pulled herself gently away from them. 

She looked up at them wonderingly, and they saw that her face was streaked with tears ad Harry calmly brushed the remaining tears away from her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered. 

The Slytherin was struck by the similarity of her cadence and the werewolf's and he decided that the two were meant for each other like a mating pair of macaws.

__

: Wolves, : his oathbrother corrected. 

"Go and put it on," Draco urged her and handed her the forgotten note.

**********

Fenix had resisted all efforts of her Elementals' help that time round and she braided half of her hair on her own although she did need a little help from Aelwyn to lace the back for her. She read the note again. _Be down at the lake by midnight._ That brief note was of her partner's handwriting. The feeling of impatience coming from the oathbrothers made her sigh and she went out of her bedroom to pose for the makers. 

"Perfect..." Draco's silver eyes watched her dreamily.

"More than perfect..." Harry agreed and he yelped when the door opened without warning. 

"Harry!" Sirius's eyes widened and scowled then stood awestruck as he stared at his oathsister. 

"Isn't it nice? They made it for me," Fenix answered and smiled warmly at Snape who was looking a little crestfallen. 

"It seems that the two of them had beaten us to it," the Potions Master almost whined and Fenix couldn't help but peered at the object he was hiding behind his back. 

"You guys have been _absent_ so you could make me presents?" she asked them with a voice that was solidified with incredulity.

: The two of you had better get back to your own beds before I decide to give you more detention, : Snape said suggestively and at his somber look, the oathbrothers dashed out of the room and Harry had to turn back and get the cloak and disappeared off from the office, knowing that they had to back out before they get into more arguments with their godfathers. 

"Happy birthday, little sister," Sirius said as he kissed her lightly on the cheek while Snape kissed her on her forehead. She hugged them individually and looked at the wrapped, rectangular object with open curiosity. Sirius signaled to the Potions Master and with a tiny bit of magic, the silky covering slowly vanished to reveal a Fenix dressed in dark green evening gown and the Fire Master stared at it breathlessly. The next thing to catch her eyes was the stark beauty of the wooden frame itself and Snape glowed when he saw her silver eyes lighted up, picking the tiny twisting of the carvings. 

"I don't think I can handle more birthday gifts," she said nervously. She was clearly at a loss for words. "Maybe I shouldn't go down to see Remus."

"Fenix, since when have you become a coward?" Sirius asked, and Fenix felt his mirth. She turned a helpless look at him and he laughed heartily. He pulled her and squeezed the breath out of her as he embraced her. She was then pushed to Snape and he took his turn to hold the woman in his arms and couldn't resist giving another kiss on her forehead. 

She poked him at his side and fumed and Snape smirked because he was aware that she knew that he had kissed her on the forehead on purpose. "Yes, Fenix. I am trying to make a point of your lack of height." She stuck her tongue at him. 

"Lazy guy."She gave a disdainful sniff. 

"Maybe you ought to go to your partner before he gets a chance to sulk," Snape suggested.

"My partner does not sulk!" Fenix replied scathingly and he snickered, indicating with an eyebrow that he knew that the werewolf _had _sulked when he found out that she had sketched a half-naked Potions Master. 

**********

__

This is really freaky, she thought as she looked about the castle grounds and swiftly headed for the lake. The near full moon reflected hazily upon the frozen lake, fractioning the moonlight and the sight was just too beautiful for her to find the words to describe the phenomenon. 

Even in the distance, she was able to make out the werewolf's unmoving form. A breeze began to blow gently and she stared in appreciation, watching her partner's long brown cloak as it moved with the wind. 

__

This is_ freaky. Am I so excited that I don't feel the cold? _She watched her partner turn his head slightly to watch her approach. His face was solemn and once again, as she stood slightly six inches away from him, she was trapped in the depths of his hazel brown eyes.

He did not speak. Whatever that he had been practicing in his mind was totally erased as their eyes locked. _Maybe... Maybe words wouldn't matter to us tonight. _

**********

__

: Absolutely cloying, : Snape 'muttered'. Sirius snorted and waited for the two by the lake to move. Or something.

**********

Remus found enough power to snap himself out of the mesmerizing effects of her silver eyes. He took a step forward and his arms moved on their own to cup her chin. Tilting her face so that the moonlight shone directly on her silver eyes, he leaned down and closing his eyes, he kissed her. 

**********

"They're hopelessly in love," Sirius observed clinically, struggling not to chuckle and trying not to feel murderous at the same time and peculiarly, the Potions Master was in a similar condition to the Black. 

**********

He slowly caressed her lips with the tip of his tongue and smiled when she shivered at the treatment. His hands were on her waist now and pulled her closer. Fenix wasn't aware that both of them were swaying gently with a soft rhythm that was slowly making itself heard. 

**********

__

: What in Merlin's world... : Snape frowned as the two hidden wizards tried to pinpoint the source of melody and Sirius poked him gently before pointing his chin to their left. Snape flushed when they saw that they had been discovered by the elves. 

Cadriel gave them a sly wink as he blew a note on his flute. Mineif was smiling gently as he tapped on a pair of small drums and Jaheera was totally lost in fingering her guitar strings. The two 'spies' turned back to watch the pair. 

**********

"Remus," Fenix spoke up when she finally heard Elven music playing in the air. "I have to warn you that I don't know how to dance."

Her partner laughed lightly and Fenix had to remind herself not to drool as she watched the werewolf's body as it moved in time with the Elven Lord's drumbeats. 

**********

"I can't believe my eyes," Sirius muttered under his breath and Snape looked quizzically at him. "Are you blind, Snivellus?" the Black jeered. "Can't you see that the werewolf is seducing her?" 

"What?" Snape looked carefully again at the dancing pair. He had to agree that the way the D.A.D.A. professor was moving was a bit on the sensual side but the Potions Master was unable to connect sensuality with the werewolf himself. "Remus... Seducing?" he asked rather doubtfully. 

***********

__

: Use your imagination to move lover, : her partner advised. _: This isn't too different from your sword practices after all. : _

: Imagination? : Fenix asked wearily, forcing her thoughts not to stray but the way Remus was dancing was really making her breathless. _I certainly have to give him the credit. I did not imagine him to be a suave dancer. Oh dear Phoebus! My knees are growing so weak!_ She blushed as she thought helplessly about how good her partner looked to her. 

__

'Two can play the game,' an insidious voice spoke up. 

Then she found that her inner voice was right. _So he wants me to be hungry... _She thought slyly. _Yes. Two can absolutely play the game,_ and she gave the werewolf a slow, provocative smile. 

**********

Jaheera gazed suspiciously at the males of her kind. _It seems rather obvious to me that they're not letting her make her own moves. Conspiracies, conspiracies. I may be a neuter, but I am still a female. Oh well, I know Mineif is going to be put off with me later on, and possibly the werewolf too but there's no way I'm going to leave this a one-sided affair. _The Elven warrior smiled and waited for the right moment to start a new tune and the two males would absolutely have no choice but to follow her tempo. _And hopefully I can maintain my dominance for a while, _she thought to herself. 

**********

She acted by instinct and let go of her partner. She struck a pose, challenging the werewolf with a superior look. Remus looked a little surprised and was showing a face portraying, _'All right, this wasn't in the plan'_. 

Distinct guitar notes struck solidly and the area fell into a hushed silence. Complicated fingerings steadily build up and Fenix used her imagination and first moved both her feet to the tempo. When the music picked up the pace she started to sway her hips and circled the werewolf seductively. Her lips curled into a mischievous smile when she saw his eyes flared and was staring at her waist and hips in fascination. She was slowly beginning to enjoy the feeling of power that coursed through her body and the wide-eyed admiration of her partner seemed to sparkle it into an inferno. 

**********

"Moony's got that one coming," Sirius chuckled nastily and nearly strangled Snape when he saw that his eyes were glazed over. _: That's it Snivellus! I am not going to tolerate you at my oathsib! : _

: Fair is fair, Black! : Snape shot back angrily. 

__

: You filthy Slytherins don't understand the concept of fair! : Sirius snarled. 

__

: Whatever. Might I remind you that the woman dancing out there had ogled me more than once? She even sketched me for Merlin's sake! : Snape sounded scandalized to Sirius. 

**********

Remus could not take his eyes off the Fire Master. The way that the lower part of her gown was unnerving him in more ways than one. _I can't leave it like this but how do I get the both of us to an equal footing? If I just stand her and continue to watch her, sooner or later I'm going to go out of control. _

He belatedly noticed that Fenix had stopped moving and was slowly taking deep breaths. He was aware that she was scrutinizing him from head to toe and he blushed when she licked her lips and gave him a significant look. 

The music began again and he beckoned her to come to him. She did and pressed herself close to him. _I can't help but wonder if the elves had been eavesdropping on my thoughts._

: What did you think of my dance? : Her mindvoice caressed his mind gently and he was getting intensely wild for her. 

__

: Beautiful, but please, : he looked worriedly at her. _: Take pity on me. Don't do it too often or you'll wear me out. : _

: You mean this? : She firmly took his hands and pressed it on her hips and she _swayed_ against him. He groaned and felt that it was time for them to finish their current dance and start a new one in a more private area. 

**********

"Moony's losing it," Sirius smirked. 

"Losing what?" Snape asked in confusion.

"His desire you virg--" Sirius tried to stop himself but the word came out of his mouth and he paled. The Potions Master stared wordlessly at the Black before he snorted and reentered the castle on his own. 

**********


	66. Strange Moods

**__**

A note to the readers: 

This chapter is quite different from the rest. I don't really know how to say it but it's dark? Seriously, I'm not quite sure. Somehow, I managed to get myself depressed while I'm writing this and there was one particular part in which I actually cried and had to stop for a moment. The reason why this chapter is different from the rest is probably because... well I think you can tell why it's turning darker? I really have no idea if I should say that this chapter is slightly angsty *shrugs*

By the way, before you read this chap, I have to warn you that there's a bit of sadism here and there. I'm not quite sure how I ended up with that. Perhaps I had been feeling a little bit 'strange' when I started writing the fic on paper. Words tend to flow easier when I scribble on scraps rather than when I type directly on the computer. And I almost forgot. During the early part of the chapter, you'll notice that there is a conversation which has been bolded & italicized. It is a conversation but it's not to be confused with mindspeech. 

So if you want to read, read on, and tell me what you think. *sighs* I'm actually aware that even my message to you is a bit on the somber side *stares at the laptop screen and tries to fight off depression*. Huh, or maybe it's just me. Well do go on and read, and tell me what you think of it. 

~ Chapter 66: Strange Moods ~

Friday, 18th January 1997. Late afternoon...

"Fenix?" Ginny waved her hand repeatedly ahead of the Fire Master's face. The girl exchanged a look with Hermione and she resumed her seat. The senior girl was helping her to revise her Transfigurations but they were more or less distracted with the Fire Master's strange behavior. Ginny whispered into Hermione's ear for the fifth time that afternoon. "What's wrong with her? She's really freaking me out with the way she's staring out of the window."

"I wish I knew," Hermione sighed, rubbing her fingers tiredly. "Anyway, let's take a break."

Ginny lifted an eyebrow and stared at Fenix in surprise when the woman got out of her chair and headed out of the library quickly. And they did not miss the anguished look on her face. 

"Is she in a tiff with Lupin or something?" Ginny asked the Gryffindor prefect uneasily. 

"No, they aren't. Whatever Fenix is experiencing, it's more serious than a lover's quarrel."

**********

****

Thursday, 22nd January 1997. In a dark mansion...

Two sets of dark brown eyes watched the Dark Lord sleeping in exhaustion on their couch. All over their house, Voldemort's followers slept for the first time ever since they had been on the run. The pair however, was careful not to trust the Dark Lord. The latter might not be truly asleep after all. The two Ancients in the room stared almost needily at the sleeping Voldemort and they wondered if they had chosen the right path that would lead them to their ultimate goal. 

"Don't say it," Damien whispered as he watched the Dark Lord's chest moved up and then down. 

__

We're going to die anyway, Isaac thought to himself._ Death is better than having to live with the abomination that we have tied ourselves into. _His darker thoughts managed to push the lustful ones away. 

Damien didn't like what they had to do any better than his twin did. But it really was unfair that the Light have all the favors and he knew that the Phoenix wouldn't want it to remain that way. That was why the two Ancients decided to ally themselves with the Dark Lord and let him hold the wild cards.

Isaac gave an unspoken signal to his twin. It was sick but they still had to do it. They kissed and they felt Voldemort's eyes watching them with interest. They kissed because that was the only way for them to communicate with each other without being detected. They wished they had the Fire Master's ability of mindspeech, but sadly, they had none. 

**__**

What I don't understand is, why didn't she tell them about us? And that she wouldn't be there to see the Duel? Isaac asked his twin. 

**__**

It's because she couldn't. She knows what can happen if she tries to tamper with natural Time. It is_ meant to happen this way. It's a safeguard too, because the green-eyed one and the Dragon have to overcome their enemies by themselves. They have to grow up or they'll forever be depending on those they love for opinions. _Damien hugged his brother tightly to fight off the waves of revulsion building inside him. He wanted to scream but he couldn't. **_Dear Gods! We're brothers!_**

I know, Damien. I know...

The other twin felt the tears welling inside his eyelids. **_Love between our kind is forbidden,_** Damien choked in his feeling of disgust. **_How did we end up like this? _**He wailed helplessly. 

**__**

I don't know. Isaac sighed into his brother's mouth. **_Maybe it's our retribution for our own unwillingness to have life cycles like the rest. _**

I can't handle this much longer! Damien placed all his anger, frustration and self-loathing on that one particular thought. 

**__**

Please... You've got to hang on just a little longer. It will be over soon. His brother said reassuringly. 

**__**

But Fenix would feel guilty after that... Could she handle that? Damien shivered and couldn't help feeling the despair that was slowly consuming his heart. 

**__**

She's a strong woman and in time she would understand why we had done it. Just look at how she reacted when Luis visited her. Her dead lover had told her that she would have to fight off her own kind. She was horrified by the very possibility. We can't deny her from being what she truly is. Isaac bit down at Damien's lower lip and his twin whimpered.

**__**

What if we're too strong for her? 

So? That doesn't mean we have to hold back our strength. Have faith in her, Damien. She's old and she's a damn fine warrior to boot. And like all warriors, they have their own egos to maintain. She would not think about letting us get away. No, not after the threat we had made on destroying the world. Isaac grinned despite the darkness that had started making a home in their hearts. Voldemort relaxed as he watched the two. 

**__**

But is the threat true in any way? That our kind might disappear if she starts having children? Damien felt the small flicker of happiness that had risen at the thoughts that the Fire Master was at last, settling down. 

Isaac gave a small chuckle. **_Of course not! And the rest knows it but it's queer that she does not. I'm having suspicions that He had a hand in that_**. He answered his twin. 

**__**

Makes sense, Damien agreed then tightened his grip on his twin when he felt Voldemort's feet touched the cold, black marble floor. **_But I really hope she'll be able to finish us and that she is still as skillful as a true Slytherin._** He felt a headache starting to build in his head. 

**__**

We just have to cross our fingers. All we have to do now is wait until the green-eyed one is ready to end the war, Isaac said to his brother in determination. He flinched as he felt Voldemort's cold fingers traced his backbone. He sent one last thought to his brother before he submitted himself to the Dark Lord. **_We've come all the way here to make _our_ future a permanent one, and we can't afford to die by the hand of _this one_ or we're back to where we had started. _**

Damien sent his agreement and broke off from his brother's embrace. Isaac hated it. He hated how he was letting Voldemort drain his power of Destruction away from him willingly. _Fenix, I hope you will prove to us that you are a true-born warrior. I want you to fight us as hard as you can to send us out to Death. Yes, I think we are making the right choices. We're doing her a favor. It would really leave a sour taste in her mouth if Voldemort had been beaten far too easily. Now that I think about it, we can't afford to have Voldemort sucking our power on the day of the Duel or she'll be insulted. I guess I'll worry about that later. _

Damien gave a typical Slytherin-like sneer (that was faked) and Voldemort echoed it. _This might be the first time in the history of the wizarding world that a Slytherin had willingly let a Gryffindor truly influence her. A Slytherin, who truly honors truth and justice above all else. _Damien felt his world grew hazy around him as the Dark Lord began to harvest his power of Creation. The touch of Voldemort's palm on his naked chest thrilled him to the point that he hated himself for enjoying that simple touch. 

**********

****

Saturday, 24th January 1997. At the Gryffindor table. 

They were quiet as they ate their dinner. Even Ginny felt it was totally useless to fill the silence with small talk. Fenix had not come down to dinner. They had found out that she was not with the wolves or any of the elves. She had shielded her mind tightly so that it ruled out the possibility of contacting her via mindspeech. However, there was one thing they could say. Fenix wasn't distraught because of them. 

**********

****

At Nowhere...

Fenix was in a magical wood where she used to have long, extended discussion with the Sun God but since He was still occupied with the Council, she used the place for her own purpose. She began her brooding. 

__

I don't bloody well understand what the two meant by going over to Voldemort. Did they tell him about our_ peculiarities? Gods, I certainly hope not. _She leaned back against the broad oak trunk and concentrated on her thoughts. _One thing I had noticed during our brief meeting, they were weakened by something but what? _One thought flashed in her mind repeatedly in her mind and she felt her insides turn cold. _They're letting Voldemort drain them? Are they nuts? And yes, why did the rest of the Ancients act as if they didn't care of me getting pregnant, as that would certainly confirm that they would be extinct in the next few years or so? _

Fenix gave a frustrated sigh. _Fighting off my species. Damn, that's a horrible thought. The twins have Harry's powers but they're not quite the sacred Gift. But even separate, their powers are still powerful and what if... What if they manage to do me in? _

She cursed softly as images flashed through her mind and it made her heart ache when she thought of a broken werewolf. _Sirius... _His charming, deep blue eyes winked at her and her eyes stung painfully. _No, I guess not. I can't deprive Harry of his godfather. _He_ is rather quiet about the issue of me getting pregnant and the extinction. So the threat the twins gave me could be possibly untrue, such as that prediction that Trelawney made. In that case I will prove my determination of being a married woman. I haven't had the chance to taste motherhood and I am absolutely not going to let that chance go. So I will be there Damien, Isaac... When it's time. _

**********

Montague was trying not to panic but it was extremely difficult not to do so. There was no doubt about it. His revered gang leader, Draco, was missing.

**********

The Slytherin was calmly walking through the gates that screened off the Malfoy property from everything else. It was quiet. Deathly quiet. Not even the crickets chirped. There were no bats flying around the house. 

Draco calmly walked up the steps. He was not sure of what to make out of a note that had been sent to him by an owl two nights ago. He didn't know what to think, because at the back of the small, dark brown envelope, was his father's own signet. His father had written only a few words on a small piece of white paper. _And I wonder if he had to make the envelope himself. _

He placed his hand over the lock that secured the front door of the house and it was released with a loud snap and Draco winced. The door opened slowly and he paused at the threshold. The house was dark and his nose twitched uncomfortably. _Where are all the house-elves? Or my mother for that matter? Huh, she probably joined up with Father. But I seriously hope she isn't here. The very sight of her curdles my blood. _His movement made the pile of dust swirled up into a cloud and he suppressed his sneeze. 

He had sneaked out of Hogwarts right after dinner, saying to Montague he had to go to the library. But Draco hadn't. Instead, he had run quickly to a corridor that pointed him to the direction of the Forest. He had made sure that the elves, his oathbrother or Fenix wouldn't be able to feel the disturbance of magical energies by transforming himself near a group of house-elves that were keen on spring-cleaning the castle. The Dragon took flight and he flew in the direction to a place that he had called home.

And now he was there. _Where is he? _The back of his neck prickled and with a wave of his hand, the door swung close. His eyes watered and he sneezed. _Irritating pile of dust!_ He thought in irritation. _'You really are a smart kid. Gone off by yourself to see a man who is just likely to kill you',_ his small voice nagged constantly. _And so is he likely to get killed by me,_ Draco thought back testily as he looked for signs of human activity. _'Patricide?' _the voice said skeptically. _Shut up! _His eyes watered at the possibility. He went up the staircase that would ultimately lead to his bedroom, the master bedroom, the study, and his father's office. _And that's probably where he is waiting for me. _

There was no doubt about it. He missed his spoilt upbringing. He stared yearningly at his bedroom door but walked stealthily toward the office. He noticed that door was slightly ajar. With a soft command, the door opened wider and he scrutinized the interior of the office. Dust lay thick everywhere and he noted that there were no footprints except his own. 

__

A bloody trap? He frowned and tightened his shields when he heard a hollow laugh. He finally noticed the man standing by the window. A man with extremely, pale blond hair that was the verge of being silver. 

"You have changed greatly," Lucius Malfoy said slowly. "And I am pleased enough that you are doing well in your academics."

Draco maintained his silence although he had moved closer to his father. 

"What? No respectful greetings from you?" Lucius turned his remaining eye to face him and smiled faintly when he saw his son's impassive face. He continued to sip his wine slowly. 

"Why did you want to see me?" Draco asked abruptly into the silence. 

"Malfoys don't need a reason to do anything," Lucius stated in a sardonic voice. 

"I see. So there was really no reason at all to my disownment," Draco answered in a flat tone and for a moment, Lucius saw the great disappointment in Draco's pair of silver eyes. 

"Exactly," Lucius smiled again and moved in closer to the young man. _My son. The pride of my clan. _Lucius's hand reached out to cup Draco's chin and he stared at the silver eyes intently. "Perfect, crystal clear silver. How curious." Abruptly, Lucius moved over to his store of precious wine and poured Draco a glass. "I assume that the Fire Master is in good health?" he asked Draco in a civil tone. 

"Yes, no thanks to you," Draco answered curtly. He watched his father carefully as Lucius returned to his side and offered him the glass of wine. Draco accepted it without hesitation. His father had poured him the wine that Draco personally liked and he winced when his father had shown him that Lucius had been perfectly aware what his son had been up to ever since he hadn't lavished the house with his presence. "So Narcissa _did_ keep in touch with you."

Lucius smiled thinly at his son's words. He could not blame his son for that. More than once ever since Lucius had married the harridan, he had forgotten all forms of endearment and called her by her first name, and others that went unspoken. They had a rather loveless marriage. Oh yes, he had been lustful for his wife but that's it. Pure, uncomplicated lust. He had wanted an heir and she wanted a name. Both got what they had always wanted, but he was afraid that he would lose the priceless one. _The Fire Master had been a good mother to him._

Draco watched his father's cynical smile and wondered what his father was thinking. He let the wine fill his mouth and shivered as he tasted the bitterness and slowly let it down into his gullet. _Not to fast Drake. You haven't been drinking anything stronger than Butterbeer for the past couple of _months. He cautioned himself. As the room fell into comfortable silence, Draco sipped on his wine and examined his father. _He looks healthy. Neat and charming. But he does look a little thin and he's paler than usual. Or is it just my eyes? _

Draco finally couldn't stand the silence and asked his father in a weary voice. "Why did you even have a family even when you know that Vol–" His question was rapidly cut off as his father lunged at him. Both their glasses shattered as they hit the floor, the remaining wine quickly seeping through the thick carpet. Draco choked as his father's hand closed in on his throat. 

"Don't... you ever! Don't you ever speak his name!" Lucius hissed and Draco stared at his father in detached amazement. He had never seen his father shown that kind of expression on his pale face. Lucius was absolutely terrified. The tightness on his throat lessened but his father did not release him. 

"Dragon's teeth! Why on earth did you ask me to come here, old man?" Draco stared into his father's fiercely, as if by just looking at his father, he could get all the answers from the wizard. "What is it that you expect to gain by sticking with _him_?" Draco continued his questioning. "Answer me!"

Lucius opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. The haunted look in his son's eyes made him fear about more than his Master knowing that his servant had sneaked out to arrange a secret meeting with his son, without authorization. "Run away, Draco. Don't be with them when the time comes," Lucius said in a deathly cold voice. 

"Run?" Draco asked incredulously. "You're asking me to _run_? That's a damn Slytherin-like thing to do, isn't it?" the Slytherin spat and his father's hand tightened around his throat once more. "_He_ got it all wrong, you know. Snape managed to get it right. Even before Fenix showed him the truth." Draco's eyesight blurred, both from the effects of strangulation and alcohol. 

"What?" Lucius asked, feeling slightly confused by his son's words.

"Slytherins... We're not supposed to help..." Draco struggled against his father's grip and he turned into a black fiery-like substance and reappeared several feet away from his father. Lucius was staring at him in mingled surprise and horror. "You knew what I am, didn't you? You named me Draco for that purpose," he said coldly, managing to conceal his drunkenness from his father. "Snape got one thing right. Slytherins aren't meant to be followers. We're solitary and free to follow our own hearts."

**********

****

In the Potions Master's office.

Snape's face paled, then turned red and paled again. Montague stood nervously before Draco's godfather. Angrily, the Potions Master swept away from his off and headed off to a particular area. _First, it is Fenix who had disappeared without even a notice and now this spoilt brat,_ Snape fumed. There was only one thing he wanted to do badly at that moment. He needed to get his hands around the neck of a particular green-eyed chap, _if_ he was not missing like his Slytherin counterpart. 

**********

Draco's words echoed in Lucius's mind over and over again. His son was speaking to him. "Tell me Father," Draco approached him in a menacing gait. "What can _he_ give you? _Power?_ You are powerful so why do you need more? _What_ do _you_ want from him?" 

Lucius remained mute. For the first time in his life, he saw his son staring at him not as an inferior to his provider, but rather like an equal. And Lucius was torn between pride and vexation at his son's attitude. He hadn't noticed how much his son had grew and the strength that was in the lean frame until Draco started shaking his shoulders. 

"What's so _good_ about him that you have to_ worship _and _kneel_ before him?" Draco choked on his words and Lucius saw his fair son began to cry angry tears. "Damn you, Father," Draco whispered as he rested his forehead on his father's left shoulder. The Slytherin seemed to have forgotten the anger that he had harbored for his father. "Why?" Lucius heard his son's faint whisper that was muffled by his shoulder. "Why did you disown me? Why do you want to tear my life apart?"

Cold tears began to penetrate his black cloak as Draco cried onto his shoulder. Lucius trembled, then his strong arms held onto his son when the boy's knees gave way, and they both sank to the floor. 

"I miss you, Father," Draco whimpered. "I miss the way you sound all witty when you thought I needed discipline. I miss the time in which we had did the house accounts together during the summer holidays. I miss those times when you had bribed me to get Mother out of your ears."

Lucius said nothing but he held his son tighter and tried to keep his dignity but it was hard to do so. He blinked his eye furiously. Although Lucius thought that he did not deserve it, but his son cared for him and it helped to ease the turmoil in his heart. "You're your own man now, Draco. Nothing in the world can influence you to do things which you don't want to. Walk the path that you had chosen for yourself with confidence," Lucius said hoarsely, wishing that he had not been a Death Eater. He had wished he had been a normal wizard who had taken great pride on raising his children. But his ambitions that were abnormal had crashed his dreams decades ago. Lucius was glad that he had kept his son totally in the dark when it comes to issues of his Master. 

"Father you can leave with me. You don't have to stay with him," Draco looked at him fiercely. His eyes turned hopeful when he saw his father contemplating the offer.

Lucius was uncertain. _But running away won't help. It didn't help Karkaroff all that much,_ a voice spoke up. So Lucius shook his head stubbornly and Draco began to look more desperate. His Dark Mark started to burn and he gasped in pain. _He's discovered me_, a fleeting thought passed in his mind. Draco stared at him when Lucius helped him up roughly to his feet. 

"You've got to leave!"

Draco stared at his father, incomprehension showing on his face. He did not move. "But..."

"Just do it!" Lucius snapped but his son remained still. "Dear Lord! Listen to me!" He shook Draco to get his son to think. "Whatever you do, don't get caught by him! Swear it to me! It doesn't matter to him that you're my son! He sees you just as a great source of power and he will drain you if he has you in his clutches!"

Draco's silver eyes flickered with dark emerald fire and the room steadily grew warm. "You know that Snape can never replace you."

Lucius's sharp facial features softened. "Stay safe, Draco."

The Slytherin gave his father one last hug and stared at Lucius for a long time before he whispered. "At least I know you care about me but I don't think I can stop missing you." And then, Draco was gone, turning into a black sheet of fire and slid out of the window. 

The Death Eater waited patiently for the Dark Lord to appear. His arm burned but he ignored it. Instead, he went over to the cabinet and looked for the strongest whisky he had in possession. He uncorked the bottle and took a huge gulp. It burned his throat and he coughed. _It will be wiser if I get myself drunk before he arrives but I wonder... I guess he has no choice but to finally kill me... _

Minutes passed and he finally felt a strange tingle across his arms. _Ahhh... He's finally here. _Lucius smirked, feeling glad at his success of getting drunk in a short time.

"Lucius, Lucius, luscious Lucius," someone clucked in faint disapproval. Lucius swayed and turned to the source of the voice. Voldemort was gazing steadily at him. "You're drinking without me Lucius?" 

Lucius stared at his Master and grinned. "Why don't you get over here and start drinking Master?" he slurred and winced when he heard his own casualness. Then again, he _is _drunk and maybe his Master would let that pass. Or maybe not. 

Voldemort smiled slightly then frowned when his foot crunched on several pieces of shattered glass. He noted that there had been two wineglasses. _And who, I wonder, had been drinking with my dear servant? _Voldemort thought distractedly. 

Lucius did not care that the Dark Lord had noticed that the wine stain on the carpet was fresh. He was too busy in selecting a bottle for his Master. 

"Let's go to somewhere more comfortable and ah... less irritating to the nose," Voldemort said sweetly as he bent over to pick up a sharp glass fragment and he hid it in his pocket. 

Lucius's stomach revolted at the suggestion but the Death Eater was beyond the point of rational thinking. He groped for a second glass and managed to get himself through the door and led the Master to the bedroom. Lucius sighed with relief when the room appeared to be free of dust and vermin. The Death Eater lazily kicked off his shoes.

**********

__

He is a strange person when he is drunk, Voldemort thought with amusement and he finally understood why Lucius had seldom drank more than what was good for him. _I have the feeling that tonight will be an entertaining one for me... _Lucius had discarded his cloak carelessly to the floor and Voldemort picked it up and started sniffing. Lucius was unalarmed by his Master's peculiar gesture. His Master scowled when he picked up the salty scent of tears. _And who had been crying on your shoulder?_

Voldemort circled the damp area with his fingers several times and was satisfied when images flashed into his mind. He still had not reached his maximum wizard strength but he was certainly capable of lighting up than just a small candle. Short black hair appeared in his vision but the top half was pale blond. Voldemort wondered who it belonged to. Then he saw a pair of silver eyes. _The Fire Master? _The Dark Lord frowned. Then he saw the fire in the eyes and he knew them only too well. _Have you been slandering me behind my back, Lucius? _

Voldemort snapped out of his thoughts when Lucius handed him a glass. He watched his servant slowly crept onto the bed and was directly drinking wine from the bottle. 

**********

Lucius was perfectly aware that he was on his own bed and somehow, his Master had removed his shirt from his body. _When did he do that? _Lucius felt his Master's cold hand on his chest and he stared at it. _Why must it always be cold? _His Master inched closer to him. Lucius felt extremely feverish and disgusted at the same time, but his Master knew him and his weaknesses. 

"You've been playing when I'm not looking," Voldemort whispered into his ear. "I am very displeased with you."

Lucius certainly did not register his Master's first sentence; he was too preoccupied with the unmoving hand on his chest. But he heard the second sentence and he sulked, snorting his disdain. If he had been sober, he would have been galled by his own actions. "You've never been pleased with me." 

Lucius heard his Master laughed sweetly at his remark and felt something sharp poking on his chest. _Glass?_ Lucius thought hazily. He raised an eyebrow at his Master. _That explains the coldness, and I see that the torture is just about to begin. _Lucius watched Voldemort maneuvered around so he could lie down on Lucius's chest. _And he hadn't drunk his wine. How rude... _Lucius flushed when he felt his Master's free hand trail lightly on his upper body and stopped slightly above his navel. Lucius saw his Master's devilish smile.

The glass cut deeper into his skin and red haziness began to fill his vision. "But I think you would be able to please me tonight," his Master said in a hushed voice. 

**********

****

Outside the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"I told you sir! He hadn't told me anything about a night-trip!" Harry's angry shout made Sirius quicken his steps and was shocked to find that Snape was attempting to strangle his godson. 

"Severus! What in the name of Merlin are you doing?" Sirius thundered, scowling so furiously that to Hermione, he resembled quite like an enraged bull and was about to charge on his target. 

The Potions Master let go of Harry's collar and the Gryffindor staggered backwards and landed on his best friend. The two godfathers stared at each other angrily. 

**********

__

I thought He had mentioned that I'm quite alone in this place, Fenix frowned to herself and sought for the source of depression. _I haven't even dealt with mine! _Then she stopped when she felt something familiar. Her own trace of magic was emanating out from a boy's upper arm. _I am going to be strangled by Sev tonight, _she thought in resignation as she approached Draco. _I see that he remembers this place well enough to come to it on his own. I wonder if this is his first time coming here. Now, why is he crying? Damnation! Is Harry in trouble again? _Alarm rose in her but it quickly died after she probed the boy further. Draco wasn't distressed about anything relating to his oathbrother. 

__

: Drake? : 

The Slytherin stared wildly around him and looked at Fenix without any signs of recognition. She slowly knelt beside him, her eyes not leaving his dark, depressed silver ones. He suddenly flung himself at her and sobbed uncontrollably. She sat into a more comfortable position and began soothing the boy, but was distracted when he overwhelmed her mind by hundreds of impressions. 

__

: He loves Voldemort! : Draco kept screaming in her mind. _: My father's in love with him! : _

What in hell? She stared at the top of his head and the truth finally hit her. _: Dear Gods Drake! What have you been up to?! Where did you go?! : _

: My father... I went to our house to see him, : Draco answered tiredly. _: And Fenix, I saw what Voldemort did to my father... : _

**********

Fenix tucked the blankets about the sleeping Draco then signaled to her partner to follow her. She extinguished the candles in her room and left her office to see her oathbrother. Through their oathbond, she had felt Sirius's rage and the bond that were present between her and Snape told her that the Potions Master was fantasizing about several torturous devices to experiment on the Black. 

"Stop it." Her quiet voice stopped the two wizards before they managed to decorate the corridor with blood. 

"And where the hell had you disappeared to?!" 

Fenix was surprised that it was Snape who had asked the question but felt relieved when she saw Sirius glower at the Potions Master. 

"Drake's missing," Harry informed her, although he was staring fearlessly at Snape who stared back angrily at the Gryffindor. 

"I know. I was with him," Fenix answered and then turned back to walk in the direction from which she had came from. 

"And what do you mean by walking off without giving me an explanation?" Snape growled and grabbed her arm to turn her around. 

Fenix stared at his hand. "Let go of my arm, Sev," she said softly. All about them, students stared at her. 

__

: Severus, I've just made myself a new friend and I don't think I care to lose you to my mate now. : Snape heard the werewolf's mindvoice spoke softly into his mind. Snape released his hold on her arm slowly and Fenix went on her way without another word. 

"I need a goddamn bloody drink," Sirius growled and stormed off. "Who's coming with me?" He didn't turn to look behind him. 

Harry was about to follow them when he was stopped by Hermione's grumpy look. He sighed and patiently reassured her that he was not about to pick on an alcoholic habit and he swiftly joined Remus as they headed onwards to Sirius's quarters. 

**********

Sirius felt hurt that Fenix had informed Remus first and not him. Snape was massaging his forehead and Harry was looking slightly green in the face. 

"I didn't know about their... relationship," Snape said in a small voice, which sounded rather peculiar and Harry wondered if he was referring to Lucius's relationship with Draco or Lucius's relationship with Voldemort. 

__

: It's the second one, : Fenix pointed out helpfully. 

Harry couldn't quite hide his anger from her and the Fire Master let him rave. It was quite some time before Harry felt satisfied with his lecture. In a much calmer tone, Harry said,_ : What's bothering you? :_ Harry felt her sigh. 

__

: I've been bothered by the same thing this past week or so. I had received a message from someone who had been dead for eight years plus and I happened not to like it, : she answered. _: But it absolutely had nothing to do with you or the war of Voldemort. : _

: Are you sure? : Harry couldn't help but be suspicious. 

__

: Yes, Harry. I'm sorry for making you guys worry. : 

There was a knock on Sirius's door and the Black waved his wand lazily to open it. It was Fenix and she paled when she saw that they had been drinking. 

"Come here, and kneel down and start apologizing!" Sirius growled, looking at her angrily and frowned at Remus who had spluttered on his drink. 

"Oathsib, that wasn't funny. That was absolutely not funny at all," Fenix answered flatly and Sirius frowned at her, not quite understanding her comments.

"Please excuse me," Snape said and Harry watched the Potions Master quizzically as Snape bolted for the bathroom. Seconds later, they heard the sound of retching and Harry paled even more. 

__

: I think I'm going to be sick too, : Harry commented and slowly went into the bathroom and he joined Snape. That made Sirius realize that he was reenacting a particular scene and he swore pungently. 

"Sirius," Snape gasped, as he leaned against the bathroom door, wincing as he listened to the noises coming from the bathroom. "Make them disappear right now," he pleaded hoarsely, not quite looking at their glasses and the lone bottle of whisky. For the first time, Sirius was in total agreement with the Potions Master about something. 

**********

Lucius woke up with painful itches from all over his body and his head was pounding terribly. He opened his eyes blearily and was thankful that the room was still dark. But then, he was confused by a dark shape on his chest and suppressed a moan when he realized it was his Master's head. Lucius flushed darkly with shame and disgust. _I'm still alive? I should have got drunker than this... _Lucius gulped and willed himself to sleep once more. 

Voldemort smiled with satisfaction as he felt his servant's uneasiness. _I'm afraid I can't lose my plaything that easily... _Voldemort trailed the sharp edge of the broken glass over his servant's left hip and carelessly threw the fragment away. Lucius suppressed his groan, still refusing to entertain his Master by waking up completely. Lucius realized he was crying when his Master started to whisper in his ear. 

**********


	67. Hidden

**__**

Author's Note: 

Sorry for the delay guys! I've finally seen the flaw of writing on paper! Dear Gods! This is the longest chapter I had ever written and I hope you won't be pissed off by it! Really sorry! This is very very very extremely long chap! Okay, now I'm back to my usual mood so I hope you guys won't get depressed by my writing k? Three more chapters and 'Purpose' will be completed! So go on and read!

~ Chapter 67: Hidden ~

Friday, 19th April 1997. The Quidditch Finals.

The stadium was buzzing with murmurs, squeals, and shouts of excitement. While the house-elves, some of the elves, Kingsley and Charley kept an eye on the castle, the others were there at the pitch to witness yet another Quidditch match. Most of the staff had taken seats everywhere in the stadium, Fenix excluded. She was on the broomstick, keeping an eye for any kind of troubles. 

Just four weeks ago, Slytherin had managed to kick the Hufflepuffs off the semifinals after sixty-seven minutes of physical abuse, couple of sabotages (You sure as hell can't stop a Slytherin from acting like a Slytherin) and reckless flying in determination to get their hands on the Quidditch cup after five years of failing to gain it. Hufflepuff had seen better days, but due to the loss of skilled Quidditch players, they had lost the match with the Slytherins ahead of them by twenty-eight points. It was really a matter of theoretical discussion if the Hufflepuffs were lacking in skills or the Slytherins, after having their training sessions with their rival, had finally managed to polish their skills Judging by the particular feints and heart-stopping dives of a particular silver-eyed, blond-haired Seeker, Hermione found the second theory was much more substantial to the first.

Lee's loud booming voice rang clearly throughout the stadium and the audience let out a cacophonous roar of welcome. _"ALL RIGHT PEOPLE!"_the commentator's voice was absolutely too magnetizing that it was impossible not to pay attention to him, now that he was in his element. _"This is what we have been waiting for!" _Lee's charismatic voice boomed. _"The final Quidditch match that I'll witness in Hogwarts for the last time!" _

Fenix made a rather loud remark on that. She leaned fully on her Ice Dagger and stared at her wand for a moment before she spoke into it. "Provided that you're able to maintain your good grades for NEWTs and graduate with flying colors, dear lad, else we'll be seeing you again next term!"

"Fenix! Get off the mike!" Lee protested loudly. Fenix smirked roguishly at him and she tucked her wand back to its hiding place. 

The Fire Master backed away from the indignant Lee, watching the Gryffindor with amusement. She had positioned herself near the commentator's stand. She had told no one but Harry that she was absolutely amazed by his commentating skills. Her eyes dropped to the sandy pitch, watching the forms of the referee and the two Quidditch captains. _They_ waited, filled to their cores with excitement for the referee to blow that silver whistle of hers. The crowd teetered dangerously on the brink of anticipation. 

It came as a surprise to Fenix and Hermione that when it all came down to Quidditch, superior egos refused to be deflated and no one was willing to bet over a Knut whether Harry and Draco are still oathbrothers. The two had already taken up to the air, and were engaging in a stare-fume-scowl-blasphemy contest to past the time. Fenix chuckled at their open animosity. 

"What is it about Quidditch that you really have to wallow in violence?" she asked the crowd with a smile on her lips and laughter echoed all about the stadium. 

"_FENIX!!!_ If you want to take my place that badly, please say so!" Lee waved his wand dangerously and she backed away, laughing heartily. 

A whistle from the ground captured their attention and they held their breaths. Hermione leaned over the railings. Behind her, her schoolmates were cheering loudly and she couldn't help but cheer too. 

__

"And here we go again! Gryffindor versus Slytherin!"

It was noisy. VERY NOISY. The audience watched excitedly as the Bludgers flew around the pitch with targets to bludgeon. Yowls emerged from the audience as a Bludger was sent flying to hit Warrington by Dean, who was unaware that the Slytherin was directly in the path of the Bludger. The evidence of the uneasy truce between the two Houses seemed to evaporate and the Gryffindors were getting really aggressive toward their opponents as minutes trickled by slowly. 

__

"WHOOPS! Oh you gotta watch your back Ginny! That was a close shave by Montague! Okay, Ginny's got the Quaffle and... Here comes Spinnet on that broomstick! Oh you make my heart fly, love! And yes! Ginny's passed it to her!" Lee broke off and he stared at the Slytherin Chasers following the Gryffindor Captain feverishly. 

__

"And here comes Montague again! Bloody hell! His speed is truly amazing!" Lee looked at the Slytherin, impressed. _"Watch out for the Bludger, Greenie! Yow! Dodge it love!" _

Exclamations of relief rippled through the ranks of the students when both captains managed to evade the ball. Alicia was still holding on to the Quaffle and was looking for a familiar redhead. The younger Chaser was half-hidden by the bulky form of Crabbe and the captain dared to send the Quaffle over his head and sighed with relief when she saw Ginny's evil grin. The curses coming from the ranks of Slytherins were turning more ominous. 

__

"Ginny's got it again and YOU GO GIRL!" Lee shouted triumphantly as his eyes saw the Quaffle going through the loop in one graceful arch. _"First point goes to the Gryffindors!" _

**********

Harry was feeling slightly nervous as he watched the rest of his teammates from a great height. _Is Drake going to cheat?_

: Of course not! Fenix will give me a trashing if I do! : his oathbrother said indignantly. 

Harry grinned then his face turned serious when he saw the same familiar flicker of golden right behind the Gryffindor goalpost and as usual, his instincts drove him to speed for the ball. His sudden movement caught his oathbrother by surprise and Harry distantly heard his oathbrother's curses as Draco struggled to catch up with him. Harry couldn't help chuckling as Draco railed about the Gryffindor's luck. 

Harry's crimson robes were plastered to his body as he flew against the wind at a great speed. He sensed the Bludgers but left Seamus to deal with it. He wondered why Draco was trailing hotly after him. _You would have thought that after four years of being a Seeker, he would have noticed what the Snitch is doing right now is nothing but a feint. _

The Snitch disappeared as it went behind a pillar and Harry calmly rose in the air and resumed his silent scrutiny. Draco was fuming and he did not bother concealing it from his oathbrother. Harry sent him an annoying thought to his oathbrother who cursed him in return. It was as if the Seekers were separated from the rest of their members and were playing their own game in their own pitch. 

__

Got you! Draco thought him with satisfaction and flew straight for his oathbrother. The Slytherin gave a maniacal grin when Harry's emerald eyes flared when he realized that Draco was going to crash into him if he did not get out of the way. Harry placed all his trust on his broom and willed his Firebolt to lose altitude quickly and Harry felt his stomach lurch at the sudden drop. He quickly rolled away to the side, evading Draco's outstretched hand. While Harry was frantically trying to think of a reason why his oathbrother was attempting to grab hold of his raven hair, a metal-like object was clinging at his long hair. 

**********

__

"It's the fiftieth minute and still the Seekers are on the hunt for our devilish, little Snitch! Back to the scoreboard then!" Lee yelled to the audience and he scanned the board quickly. _"The Slytherins are eighteen points behind the Gryffindors!" _Lee informed the crowd. 

There was no doubt about it. The audience was very restless and those in Gryffindors were more than just worried. Thoughts such as, 'Will Harry catch the Snitch?', 'What if Draco catches it first?' and 'I certainly won't be able to stand the shame if we lose the Cup!' were running furiously in their minds. 

Lee's sudden exclamation startled everyone. _"What on earth is the silver-eyed Seeker playin' at?!" _Lee exclaimed as his eyes took in the forms of the Seekers. It was Draco's twenty-eight attempt (if Hermione had counted accurately) at grappling his rival Seeker in mid-flight. 

The audience heard Harry's clear, furious shout. "There's no way I'd let you have it!" Harry propelled himself backwards, pushing the Slytherin Seeker away from him and the audience heard Draco raved. 

__

"THEY MUST HAVE SEEN THE SNITCH!" Lee crowed out excitedly. _"But wait! Here we go again! Draco's coming for him!" _Lee frowned. _"And what is Potter trying to do now?"_ His comment sparked off more curiosity. 

__

**********

Sirius watched the Seekers grapple with each other through the lens of the omnioculars and commented absently to the Potions Master. "I think I'm going to give your godson a few days of detention once this match is over."

Snape snorted and he watched the scene in complete serenity, severe black robes billowing about his legs in the strong wind. Remus suddenly started swearing and it startled the living daylight out of his two companions. The werewolf laughed then repeated his swearing. 

"Moony." Sirius flushed with embarrassment when he felt the eyes belonging to dozens of students on him, Snape and the werewolf. "Stop acting like a goddamn madman." 

"Harry's got the Snitch all right!" Remus responded in between laughs and Snape swore, hating himself for not resisting Black's bet. By the end of this term, the Potions Master would have a hundred Galleons lesser in his vault. However, it was the unknown bet he had agreed with the werewolf that unnerved him a little. _Why must they have all the fun? _Snape asked himself sourly. 

The three watched Harry attempting a feat that was totally unadvisable when riding up on a broom and the ground is seventy meters below you. Harry was working both arms furiously behind his back and shivered when he finally felt the Snitch fluttering along his backbone. _Just a bit more! _

Harry yelled with glee when he managed to get the Snitch out of his robes and firmly grasped the metallic ball in his palm. He distantly heard Madam Hooch's whistle, and he saw his oathbrother heading toward a nearest pole. The Slytherin started banging his head and Fenix quickly rushed off to prevent the boy from getting more agitated. _Bloody hell... Draco isn't going to forgive me. What an uncomfortable inconvenience, _Harry thought absently as Ron gave him a tight hug as they spiraled downwards and Ginny was kissing Dean furiously in her glee. 

**********

Sirius rubbed his hands together and tried to hide his triumph from Snape as the latter handed him a small envelope containing a document that will allow the bankers to transfer one hundred Galleons over to Sirius's vault.

Snape then turned to the werewolf who was looking solemnly at him. Snape took a deep breath. _: All right. What's my forfeit? : _the Potions Master asked in a resigned tone. 

__

: You're going to take another summer holiday, : Remus replied shortly, his face looking strangely blank. _: But it's up to you if you want to. :_ Then without warning, the werewolf turned and disappeared among the crowd of wildly cheering students. 

Sirius carefully pocketed the envelope in his robes and feigned a gleeful expression. He prodded the Potions Master to move. Sirius was puzzled about the odd forfeit. What baffled him more was that the conversation between Snape and his friend was meant to be private but he had no idea why he had heard them clearly. 

__

Bloody hell, Moony. Why do I feel that you're hiding something from us? Sirius thought grimly as he cheered at the Gryffindor's success. 

**********

****

Sunday, 21st April. One in the morning.

Harry felt that he was weighed down by a heavy load of depression as he dreamed. He felt strange since he was suffering a nightmare that he had almost forgotten ever since Fenix had been introduced into his life. It was unsettling. Harry watched himself in the night when he was paralyzed by Voldemort, wand flickering and then Cedric's body. 

Harry knew he was tossing and mumbling in his sleep as he heard Ron muttering several curses at his direction for being noisy. Harry was more than expecting his best friend to wake him up but minutes continued to pass and still he had not been shaken. And then he found Voldemort staring at him, his dark eyes glowing deep amber for a few seconds. Harry found himself staring at those cruel eyes calmly. _Time. It's happening soon. _

Harry began to seek out that familiar refuge to brood. That was what he had done if he hadn't been studying. It surprised him somewhat when he saw that he was not alone. A couple nestled comfortably, using the grove of trees as a backdrop and they watched him expectantly. 

"You've grown so much," the woman sighed wistfully and held out her arms. She smiled when she saw Harry's hesitation. Behind her, James got up to his feet and part of him noted in amusement that he was actually several inches taller than his father. 

"Well, we can't stay here for long. Just wanna drop by and drop some hints," the man from whom Harry got his trademark messy raven hair said jovially as he hugged Harry. "Oh, don't give me that look," James pouted when Harry unconsciously gave his father a look of total apprehension. "Seriously son. You've got to laugh more often. We're lucky that Fenix and Hermione are taking really good care of you since I can see that your growth is no longer stinted. But I have several things to complain however," James said thoughtfully to Harry. 

In an automatic reaction, Harry tilted his head to his side and asked curiously, "What?" 

"Pranks, Harry. Pranks. You should prank a lot more."

__

"James," his wife said in a warning tone and his father just smiled roguishly at her. 

"Second complaint: _Snivellus_." 

Harry had to laugh at his father. "Dad, he's still human after all," Harry answered, knowing full well of his father's irritation. 

"After being dead for so long, surely you have forgotten about your enmity?" Lily stared at James who sulked. "And you know what your son's answer would be for the first complaint." 

James looked archly at his wife. "What? That 'I'm-too-busy-thinking-about-Voldemort' crap?" When he saw Harry's flushed face, James felt stunned. He took a deep breath and then exploded. "Okay. Since _when_ did you decide to grow all the way up and say 'Hell' to childhood?" Harry was then subjected with a handsome scowl by his father, which could only be rivaled by Harry's godfather.

Harry winced and stared uneasily at the man who was his father. Fortunately for Harry, James relented and dropped the subject when his wife gave him a penetrating look. James sighed then mercurially said in a bright voice, "You should get drunk with Sirius someday. You know, I'm glad that Fenix chose Moony instead of your godfather. Sirius can be flighty sometimes but Moony's totally dependable. He'd be a great father one day." James edged away from his wife carefully when she glared at him. 

Lily stared at her husband for a long time before she spoke to Harry. "I want you to pay attention to everything that's happening. _Everything_." The green-eyed youth stared at Lily and his insides went cold as she spoke the next sentence, "Yes dear. Including dreams _and_ nightmares."

Lily stepped forward and gave her son a hug. Harry squeezed her, comforted by the warmth. He tried not to look away from his mother's eyes but it was difficult. It felt like her eyes had penetrated through him, knowing his mind, soul and heart. 

"You know it, don't you? You that it will happen soon," Lily said softly. 

Harry stared at her in stunned silence. He doubted that anyone but his oathbrother and Fenix knew anything about the Duel. _So how did they found out about it?_

"Mom," it seemed a little strange to Harry as he addressed her, "why are you and Dad still... hanging around?" Harry gazed calmly at his parents. 

James gave his son a fond smile. "You want us out of your life so soon? I understand that this makes Padfoot's life easier." 

Harry was flustered and he stuttered, his voice squeaking. "But that... not..." Harry sighed in exasperation. "That was not what I meant!" 

"He was just teasing you, Harry. It's not quite time for us to leave yet," she said, but Harry saw that she had stared at his father uneasily and James shook his head so slightly that if Harry hadn't been paying attention, he would have missed it. Harry cautiously put on a blank face and Lily spoke again. "You'll understand why, when it's time."

Harry's shoulders slumped and he grimaced. "You have no idea of how much I hate that phrase." His parents grinned, then disappeared and Harry wondered what he should do next. _I hope that my body will receive the rest it needs if I go back to sleep with unpleasant dreams that are more than likely to creep into my subconscious. I understand why Mom had said that I should pay attention to my dreams. There's probably a simulation exercise waiting for me._

Ninety minutes later, Harry was uncertain as to which scene he should approach. Right ahead of him were three pathways and all of them had a pair of beautiful and dark eagle-like creatures and the blue fiery form of the Phoenix. Harry somehow had the impression that all three were battle scenes and he had three choices. One: He shouldn't interfere but inform Sirius about it. Two: Harry should be with her. Three: He should stay out of it. 

Harry was puzzled by the choices but somehow he felt the third was an appropriate choice and he crossed the line to walk on the third path. There was a rush of a warm breeze and Harry felt something akin to triumph but it quickly disappeared. Darkness fell to fill the room and he heard the soft rattle of chains. It was too dark for Harry to make out anything and instinctively, he tried to call for light but he couldn't. 

There was something familiar inside the room but it evaded Harry completely. He was only aware that someone was in there. Two individuals. Then Harry felt it. The two individuals were on the brink of death and Harry felt like he had to do something about them. He felt a slow pressure at the back of his mind and he was puzzled. Was that regret he had felt? 

__

"You're not supposed to help them," a gentle voice spoke to Harry. 

Harry predictably bristled. He thought hard at the voice. _: If I can't help them then why did you show it to me? : _

"You'll see," the voice said.

Harry ignored the voice and he ignored the dying individuals. For once in Harry's young life, he successfully suppressed his curiosity. He made his way for the door that he had seen earlier and flung the door open. 

He found Voldemort staring insanely at him again.

**********

Draco immediately got out of bed and grabbed his cloak. Fight it. Fight it, Draco. Don't give in. Fight it. This was the fourth time he had gotten out of bed and wanting to be with someone. The first two times he had approached Fenix and her partner, the third was Aldren. 

Draco had barely stepped out of the Slytherin common room when a dangerous hiss whispered in his ear. "You should not be sneaking out even if you're a prefect, Draco." The Bloody Baron quickly materialized. 

"I can't... I don't want to be alone!" Draco whispered urgently, trying to fight off the hysteria. 

"But your friends were with you," the ghost pointed out. The Bloody Baron stared at the boy nonchalantly although the ghost wondered what had caused the boy to be so alive. "The Fire Master isn't free tonight," he informed Draco in an emotionless voice, although Draco noted with faint amusement that the ghost went pink for several seconds.

"My godfather?" Draco whispered with effort

"He's in the classroom."

Seconds later, Draco stood before the Potions Classroom and gave two distinctive and controlled knocks. Moments passed before the classroom door was opened by Snape himself. The Potions Master was both annoyed and curious at the late visit. He was about to give a sharp rebuke when he saw Draco but managed to bottle whatever he had to say when he had taken a good look at his godson.

The Slytherin was looking very pale, there were visible shadows under his eyes and Draco actually looked feverish to Snape. The Potions Master stepped aside and Draco shuffled into the room tiredly and sat on his own seat. 

"If you are sick, why didn't you go over to visit Madam Pomfrey?" Snape asked in concern. 

"I'm not having a fever," Draco's voice trembled as he answered. 

"Draco, what is wrong with you?" Snape pestered, going round to Draco's desk and stood, looking down at the boy. 

"It's nothing..." 

"You don't look all right to me," Snape said softly. 

"I... I just need to talk to someone," Draco answered in a hushed voice. Then he raised his weary, silver eyes to look at Snape. "Please don't tell Harry or Fenix. They have their own problems to contend with." 

Snape stared at him for a few minutes before he finally answered. "Give me a few more minutes. I have to grade some of your assignments. You rest there while I'm at it." The Potions Master waited until Draco gave a tired nod and Snape left to be at his desk and resumed his grading. 

Snape occasionally rested his fingers and eyes and he spent several moment to study his godson, who had curled his hands onto the desk and his head, now fully blond again, rested on his arms. It was the slight sob that convinced Snape to stop his grading session and determine what was wrong with the Slytherin. _But when did he suddenly become so weepy?_ Snape grumbled. The Potions Master skillfully grabbed the chair where it was usually occupied by Hermione and sat himself across Drake. 

__

: Now we'll talk. Why are you crying? : Snape asked bluntly.

Life flashed in Draco's eyes as he asserted, _: I am not crying! : _

: Then why do you have tears streaking your cheeks? : Snape asked archly. 

__

: Because they're not in my tear ducts! : Draco snapped. 

Snape sighed. He hadn't expected Draco to engage him in verbal fencing. _: Would you please tell me what's going on inside your mind? : _Snape had carefully dropped off 'to save time' because that would probably hurt the youth's feeling. 

__

: Fear. : Draco's mindvoice was soft. _: Fear. I'm afraid of something. I'm afraid to lose... :_ He trailed off. 

Snape frowned. _: Lose? : _

: Something important. I can't help it. It's getting worse every night and I'm afraid that I would lose something which is important to me... : Draco's eyes darkened, confused by the depression he was experiencing. _: I'm suddenly afraid for everything and everyone. I'm afraid for myself. : _

The room was silent, only filled with the sounds of breathing. Draco probably didn't realize it but he was crying, letting the tears slowly fall from his eyes in an agonizingly silent way. He had also confessed to his godfather about the dreams he had about his father and Snape listened sympathetically. Finally Draco stopped and Snape took a deep breath. 

__

: Might I comment that your cause of depression is quite vague that I can't really help you out? : Snape asked mildly and Draco managed to smile. 

__

: I know, but I feel better now, : Draco answered, his eyes looking gratefully at Snape. 

__

: Then you could go back to your bed, : the Potions Master replied but paused when Draco shook his head.

__

: I'm not that_ well. I still don't want to be alone, : _he answered stubbornly. Snape sighed. 

__

: Then maybe I should move my work upstairs to my quarters. : Snape got up then neatly pushed the student's chair at its original place and began to tidy up his desk, rearranging the ungraded students' assignments. 

**********

****

Thursday, 13th June. In the Great Hall.

The air was buzzing with excitement. Exams were already over and the students were much more relaxed and relieved. Except for the fifth-years who were very worried for their OWL results. There was at least something different about the Hall tonight. The vast room was lavishly decked with the colors silver and green. As it turned out, Slytherin had won the House Cup but the Gryffindors took the defeat quite well. After all they had been only two points behind Slytherin. 

Harry was kept busy by the chocolate cake that Hermione had cut out for him and her partner and when he went for another helping, he wondered if Fenix was the one who had baked it. Harry was excited beyond words. It would be the first time that he wouldn't be going back to the Dursleys. It's also going to be Draco's first time that he would be occupying a Muggle house and that he would also have the chance to babysit. Giselle had already given birth to a healthy human boy (outwardly of course). 

"Hey," Ron dutifully swallowed his chicken before continuing, "where are _they_? Dinner's almost half over." 

"Fenix is trying to persuade Snape to spend his summer at her house but she's going to be disappointed," Hermione answered. 

"You sound so sure about that," Harry mused. 

"Because I am. Snape has that annual Potion Meeting to attend with his peers," Hermione informed them. "By the way Ron, Moody did tell you we're not supposed to owl each other during the holidays?" 

Ron nodded and she sighed. "Well, at least I could send email to Harry while he's staying with Fenix. But I absolutely hate it when I have to rely on the sly Sylphs to give my letters to _you_," Hermione was staring dreamily at her partner and Ron blushed. 

"Well... uhm... what's email?" 

"Forget it," Hermione said. 

"The Sylphs won't really _see_ what you write, right?" Ron squirmed in his seat.

"Trust me Ron. I know their minds," his partner said in a fervent tone.

"Well, excuse me!" That belonged to Aelwyn, sounding very horrified at Hermione's implications. Hermione however refused to entertain the Elemental with more comments then nudged Harry lightly. "See. She failed."

They all studied Fenix's expressionless face and it was the blank look that hinted that she was upset. She gave one long sigh as she sat opposite Harry and cut herself a very huge piece of cake, all the while muttering something about a stubborn, greasy-haired, beaked nose individual and Ron smothered his laughter. 

Fenix snapped out of her black mood and asked Harry mischievously, "Excited?" 

"A little. So Sirius is leasing the House of Black to the Order?" Harry questioned her in a curious tone.

"Yeah. I'm glad that my house is big enough to shelter all of you, although I think I might have to expand it sometime in the future," she said thoughtfully. "But I wonder what we ought to do other than seeing you complete your homework."

Draco came around and kissed her on her cheek in greeting before he gave Hermione and Ginny similar greetings. "I'm not going to worry about it if I were you. I think you, and maybe your sister could possibly go crazy once Harry and I start experimenting around with Muggle appliances. Or maybe it'll be just I," he said, remembering that his oathbrother at least had a Muggle upbringing.

Fenix's eyes widened and she narrowed her eyes dangerously. "No magic in the house Drake."

"I know that," he answered, batting his eyes flirtatiously at her as he sat beside the Fire Master. 

"Stop that!" she poked Draco on his waist. "You're just like Remus!" 

"Professor Lupin did that eye-blinking?" Hermione gasped, then collapsed in a fit of laughter. 

"Yes he did, that crazy werewolf," Fenix muttered under her breath, then she stared at the Slytherin. _: When I say magic Drake, I meant the magic that is not normally taught in your wizarding world. : _

Draco groaned in mock disappointment while his oathbrother smirked. Fenix was pleased by how the cake had turned out and scowled. She pitched her voice loudly so that a lurking Potions Master would be able to hear her words clearly. "Sev, I'm going to finish the cake if you're too slow for my liking!" 

**********

__

: Well, it seems that she is still mad at you, : Sirius said brightly. 

__

: Shut up. : Snape growled and he hurried on into the Hall.

"Disgusting," Sirius shuddered, thinking about the Potions Master's addiction to Fenix's baking. On a sober note, he said to his best friend. _: You've been quiet. : _

:Too quiet for your taste? : Remus raised his eyebrow slightly at his friend.

__

: Why are you so keen to get Severus holidaying again? : Sirius asked him in a tone that he wouldn't be satisfied with just any answer. 

__

: I somehow feel more comfortable that if he's with us, we could protect each other, : Remus answered as truthfully as he could. _: I always get this funny feeling every single time I think about him being separated from us. : _

: But so is half of the family, : Sirius pointed out in a serious tone. 

__

: With him, it's different. Severus is an immediate family member. : 

Sirius was quiet until they reached the Gryffindor table and he grinned when he saw that the Masters were already starting to bicker loudly, much to Dumbledore's amusement. _: They've made up then, : _Sirius said as he sat beside Harry and his godson looked at him incredulously.

__

: You call that 'made up'? : Harry's mindvoice was filled with disbelief. 

__

: Trust me Harry. They love each other so much that they sometimes like to show it to each other in a more violent manner, : Sirius said in a mocking somber voice. 

Harry was shaking his head. Usually the Potions Master was normally a stoic man but now as Harry realized it, Fenix had effectively turned his life upside down. _: Slytherins are truly an odd bunch... : _Harry remarked. 

__

: Did you say something Green-Eyes? _: _Draco asked in a deceptively sweet voice. 

__

: It's nothing. : Harry answered quickly and then he spluttered when Fenix said in an arrogant voice. 

"Yes! I love you! You goddamn, greasy-haired... bat! Dear Phoebus! You make me so damn mad that I want to throttle you! Egoistic _bat_!" Fenix spat. "Too bloody damn proud to even say three simple words." 

Snape bristled and Harry gazed at Fenix in awe. Harry paused to look at the werewolf for any signs of jealousy but to Harry's surprise, Remus was actually smirking. In fact, he started encouraging his partner by saying, "Go on lover." That earned him a very sly wink by the Fire Master.

Snape's face was red and she egged him with insults until he turned purple. By now, both of them were off the bench and were standing on their feet and the school watched the free entertainment with good humor. 

"Pride be damned!" Snape suddenly shouted. In a flash, he had Fenix in his arms and was squeezing her so tightly that a small gasp came out from her. " I'd rather be stuck in a study than the babble of noises of pointless human debate! Bloody woman! Of course I'd rather be with you than those arrogant bastards who call themselves masters!"

Fenix smiled into his chest and Snape felt it through so many garments. "Devilish little chit. Don't tell me you went through all that making up insults just to hear me confess that I'll miss you?" Snape heard her make a small sound of admittance and he sighed. "Fenix, I'm so disappointed." 

Then he did something he would never do if he had been the Potions Master of a year ago, especially in public. He openly showed his affection for her in front of the entire school. He kissed her fondly on her forehead and Ron's eyes bulged out horribly looking like a goldfish while Harry and Draco snickered. Remus and Sirius were grinning so widely and it was impossible for the humans, elves and wolves not to smile. 

The eight Death Eaters who were still in custody (They had been let out of the shield but they were trapped by the spells that had been cast by Dumbledore, the elves, house-elves and Fenix), stared at the scene with wide-eyed incredulity. They could only exchange helpless glances, not being able to even curse. 

Fenix finally lifted her face and gave the wizard a shy smile, her silver eyes lighting up and it made Snape feel like laughing. So he laughed. A soft, warm laugh that made her face glow in wonderment. That convinced everyone that there was a man living inside the severe black robes and suddenly everyone (Death Eaters excluded) was so proud to have him as their Potions Master. 

Sirius sighed. Snape had deftly caught _all_ of them and Sirius shuddered at the sudden feeling of protectiveness for his longtime nemesis. _Dear Merlin. One laugh was all it took for us to get wrapped securely around his finger. I think he's just as bad as Fenix._

McGonagall suddenly stood up and began clapping. "I am amazed by your skill, Miss Maxwell. Perhaps, one day you should sit down with the rest of us and give several useful pointers." She eyed the Headmaster in a rather peculiar manner. "Hmmm. Albus. You look rather becoming with that blush." 

Giggles erupted and Dumbledore mumbled something softly while McGonagall smiled faintly at him. Dinner resumed, and by the time it had passed eight-thirty, only Fenix, the elves and the wolves remained in the Hall while the rest had left to see to their packing. The Death Eaters were restored to the antechamber and the Hall was filled with the soft whisperings of conversation. 

**********

****

Saturday morning.

Fenix pulled her hair up into a tight ponytail and quickly slipped on her boots. All of them were waiting downstairs and she grabbed her Ice Dagger. She took a moment to lock the room, walking until she reached Snape's door. _I wonder if he's in there. _She was just about to send a thought when the door opened and the Potions Master held the door, grinning at her.

"Get that grin off your face Sev," Fenix grumbled.

"Why don't you transfer it to your face then?" Snape said in a mocking voice. His grin became more maniacal when she gave him a one-armed hug. Up to then, Fenix had refused to kiss him while he was standing, knowing that she won't be able to reach his cheek even if she stood on her toes.

__

: Sev, take care of yourself and don't forget to call, : she whispered and Snape knew that he was missing their unplanned bickering already. 

__

: You too. : Snape bent down to kiss her cheek and held her for a few minutes. Fenix gave him one last squeeze before bolting out of the corridor.

**********

Aldren directed Fenix to the edge of the Forest. Her two wolves and the company of elves would be Gating out to their Grove along with the trunks except for the owls and Crookshanks. Aldren also told her that Lion would be waiting for them at the station to pick them up. She nodded and watched the group disappeared before she mounted on her broom and flew off, meeting her partner in the air in a couple of seconds. 

The carriages had already begun moving along the trail and Fenix forced herself not to fret about the Potions Master. Remus understood her well enough and tried to comfort her. His insides fluttered as he watched her flying in her Hunter garb. _Bloody hell werewolf. Keep your mind off your partner for once. _

They reached the station without any sort of mishaps and the train was already waiting for the students to board. Mini-chaos erupted as students scrambled in to get to the best seats and to Hermione's horror, Fenix slipped out a small, sharp pointed dagger and aimed it at one of the windows.

"Fenix!" Hermione hissed. "What are you doing?" 

However, it was Moody who answered her. "She's testing if they had made improvements on the train." He winked knowingly at Fenix when her dagger clattered harmlessly to the ground. The window was unmarked. 

"Well, that's it." She looked at the train with satisfaction and she scooted up the train.

Forty-five minutes later, the train was moving and gaining speed steadily. Fenix had seated herself beside Draco with her partner and her oathbrother sitting on the opposite. Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny occupied the other seats and were already chatting away. 

__

: I kind of miss my bed. : Fenix smiled mischievously at her oathbrother.

__

: With me on it? : Sirius replied devilishly and Remus stared at her in a threatening manner. 

__

: Don't you dare form a thought lover, : Fenix said, her mindvoice filled with anger and amusement. _: He never _had_ me. : _

Hermione and Ginny gasped at her words, Ron choked on his Chocolate Frog, while Draco and Harry guffawed loudly at the blushing faces belonging to Sirius and the werewolf. 

__

: Fenix, I wasn't aware that you can be severely blunt sometimes. : Draco smirked nastily.

"If she had been any more blunt Drake, your sexual education could be completed within a day," Sirius said seriously.

"How my godfather would be amazed by that," Draco mused and looked speculatively at Fenix. 

"Get your eyes off her, Dragon. She's _mine_," Remus said lightly, trying not to sulk in front of the children. Laughter quickly filled the compartment as their journey back to King's Cross continues. 

**********

****

A few hours later.

The group slowly made their way out of the station, Fenix and Moody scanning the crowd ahead of them carefully. Harry in the meantime, looked for the Dursleys. Sure enough, Harry saw his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia but there was no Dudley. Not that it mattered much anyway. His uncle was looking at the amateur witches and wizards. Fenix noticed that Harry's aunt was gripping her husband's biceps when she stared at someone to Fenix's right. Fenix took a quick glance and saw that it was her oathbrother and she lifted her right eyebrow in question. 

__

: I don't think it matters, except maybe for the police, : Harry told her and she nodded. 

The group was slowly approaching Harry's former caretakers and Harry politely began to introduce the company to the Dursleys' first. 

"So... You're not really going to live with us anymore," Vernon said in a harsh voice, and although it wasn't a question, Harry nodded anyway. 

"But are you sure they can protect you?" Aunt Petunia asked worriedly and Harry sighed. 

"I don't know. But at least that if we get into trouble we can devise some way to defend ourselves. If I'm still living with you..." Harry left the sentence hanging and his aunt nodded. 

A flash of black and something that glittered blue caught Fenix's attention and she scanned the person carefully, just to make sure that he is who he say he is. _: Our chauffeur is here, : _she said as Lion the tailor approached them carefully. _: And there are your parents, Hermione. : _

Taking their leave from the Dursleys, the students made their farewells and the Grangers exchanged a brief conversation with the Fire Master and then the Grangers disappeared. The Weasleys were next and Fenix was greeted warmly by the twins and told them all that Percy had made up with them (Bill was still vexed with him and Percy thought it'd be wiser if he stayed out of The Burrow.) Charlie just acted surprised. Arrangements were also made that Harry and Draco would be spending the last two weeks of summer at The Burrow ("If nothing happens that'll change that," Molly had said tiredly.) Mr. Weasley then handed Harry and Draco an envelope each and just told them they needed that if they wanted to take the _test_. 

The Slytherin exchanged an amused look with his oathbrother, who shrugged. So after Ginny gave all of them their last hug of the day, the Weasleys left and only Moody was left with the group and Lion finally reached them. 

"Hi there Mad-Eye," Lion greeted the ex-Auror familiarly and Moody just gave him a lofty look while he muttered something that sounded ominously like '– arrogant brat...'. "Well, where's that striking black-haired man and who is this?" Lion stared curiously at Draco, and quirked up an eyebrow when he saw the Slytherin's eyes. "Your secret son?" he hazarded, looking at Fenix quizzically then winced when the Fire Master swatted him. 

"He is not," Fenix answered sharply and looked about them. "So where are you heading to now?" she asked the ex-Auror and he responded by saying that he would be going to the Headquarters and he reminded Fenix to report to him occasionally. She nodded her agreement and finally the remaining group followed Lion to where he had parked the minibus. Draco looked about him with curiosity but he managed not to act too surprised. 

As they went up the small bus (a rather large van), something popped in Harry's mind and he called Fenix in a somewhat hesitant voice. "Fenix?" Harry heard her make a sound of inquiry as she took care of Hedwig's and Bootes's cage. "Do I get to listen to Linkin Park?" he asked hopefully. 

Sirius swore when Fenix's face suddenly turned inquisitive. Remus looked at them in bewilderment as he saw Fenix's lips twitching with mischief. "And that reminds me. Maybe, I'll take you guys out on a shopping spree someday." 

"No East 17!" Sirius spoke in a firm voice and was distracted briefly by the elf, who was advising the passengers to get seated. 

"What's wrong with East 17?" she asked curiously. 

"You just play their songs too damn much that they'll forever be stuck in my head!" Sirius said loudly.

"You were the one who started it... by singing Ace of Base..." Fenix pouted. 

__

: What's up with them two? : Draco asked both Harry and Remus in annoyed tone. The latter shrugged.

Harry asked Fenix whose eyes had gone rather distant. "Is it going to be a long ride?"

"Yes. A couple of hours at least," she answered distractedly then she began singing in a soft voice and Harry heard his godfather groaning in the background.

__

I see you over there

Body would I love to share

I hold you in my dreams

But then I wake up

Just a dream

And almost unconsciously, Sirius joined her as he watched the passing traffic out of the window. 

__

I'd do anything for you

Steal a star down from the sky

Write a song for birds to sing

"Now see what you've done!" Sirius complained and she laughed. The elf wisely turned on the radio to occupy their minds. And it was coincidence when East 17's Thunder began playing. 

**********

The House of Maxwell was filled with activity as the elves welcomed Fenix and the rest and they were eagerly pushing her into the living room to meet up with her nephew. Draco and Harry stepped into the living room shyly. Draco, being one born with a fine taste in life, scrutinized Fenix's home and decided it wasn't that bad. At least it wasn't shabby. He vowed that he would examine the house in greater detail when it wasn't as crowded as it was right now. There were a _lot _of elves and the oathbrothers watched the smaller Fenix getting a hug from every handsome guy, only that they have a strange pair of ears. 

Sirius watched the swarming elves with amusement and grinned wickedly when he saw the expression of his best friend's face. "I didn't know that she was so popular. But of course, the only blokes I'm familiar with would be those that had turned up at Hogwarts and Derian." 

"Hmph." That was all that came out from the werewolf's mouth. Finally, Fenix reached the point where she couldn't stand being nuzzled anymore. 

"Okay guys. Shoo! I want to see my nephew!" she said happily, as she pushed Cadriel back to his friends. Giselle laughed, her eyes examining the three strangers standing apprehensively beside Sirius. She turned her attention to the not so small bundle she was holding carefully in her arms. The baby stirred when he was transferred into the steady hands of his aunt. 

"How nice it would be when he takes a look at me and start crying," Fenix joked and the proud father stood by Giselle's side as they watched Fenix rocked the baby back and forth. 

Remus felt slightly odd as he watched Fenix's soft expression and he shook his head, trying not to feel so dazed. Fenix spoke again, this time to ask the baby's name. 

"Lucifer," Giselle replied and Fenix stared at her sister, trying to determine if Giselle had suddenly gone mad. "Pulling your leg..." Giselle laughed heartily. "It's Spencer Shadowwood." 

Fenix looked quizzically at the last name and looked at Cadriel. "Standard practice," the handsome elf shrugged. "Whoever marries a male elf will take on the name of the Grove." 

Quite suddenly, small Spencer opened his eyes and stared directly at Fenix. His eyes were of a clear, deep blue, just like his father. The living room fell silent and Spencer raised one tiny arm and Fenix clasped it carefully. "Hello Spens. I'm Fenix and I just happened to be your aunt."

A gasp of happiness came from the baby and Fenix smiled faintly, walking calmly toward the wizards. She went over to Sirius first. "This one is my oathbrother, his name is Sirius and I guess he'll be Uncle Sirius to you," she said in a conversational tone and it amused Draco, listening to her talk to an infant barely sixth months old. Fenix had turned to Harry and she spoke in the same soothing voice. "This is Uncle Sirius's godson, Harry. That makes you his cousin."

Spencer struggled briefly, one small arm reaching out to touch the lightning scar on his forehead. Harry's eyes were transfixed on the baby's blue eyes and he broke off from the stare, exchanging a curious look with his godfather. 

"And this is your cousin's oathbrother, Draco. So, you're his cousin too." Fenix paused as Spencer gave a very adorable squeal. "I think he's fascinated by your hair," she said lightly and Draco blushed prettily.

Fenix rested her eyes on Remus, her face unreadable. Spencer had turned quiet again and they got closer to the hazel-eyed wizard. "And this," Fenix whispered in the baby's ear, her eyes still fixed on the werewolf, "is my mate. His name's Remus. And he is your uncle too, so don't forget the uncle when you address him."

All of a sudden, Spencer cried out. He was jumping around in Fenix's arms and Derian looked totally surprised by his son's behavior. Then he whispered a witty comment to his wife, "That was certainly not much of a hassle to get a babysitter." Fenix by now had given the baby to her partner and she watched Spencer burrowing his face on the werewolf's chest and repeatedly flash cute, toothless grins. She smiled faintly at her nephew's liking for her partner. Seeing that her future husband was concentrating hard on the baby, Fenix introduced the rest of the company to everyone and by the time she had introduced the last elf, Harry felt that his mind was about to burst. 

"Harry, Drake? Let's go up and choose your bedrooms and open their cages will you? Let them explore the house for a bit and tomorrow I'll see to it that they get familiar with the woods so that they won't have to stay inside the house all the time," Fenix suggested as Derian shooed their guests back to their own homes. 

__

: Remus, I'll be upstairs, : she sent a thought to the werewolf then sighed when it appeared that her partner was totally absorbed with the baby. "Oh well... Come on!" she smiled brightly at the Sirius, Harry and Draco.

**********

****

Tuesday, 25th June. Along a dim-lighted corridor.

Snape paused at the Fire Master's office. He sighed then turned back and headed for his Potions classroom. He walked tiredly down the narrow staircase, walked some more, unlocked his classroom and sat on his chair somberly. It was the first time in his life that he had admitted to himself that he was feeling bored. Very bored. 

__

Thank Merlin that the blasted meeting is only three days away. Me. The greatest Potions Master the wizarding world has ever known, the Head of the Slytherin House, is on the verge of falling into depression. Snape fiddled with his quill absently. _I wonder what they're doing right now..._

The melancholia that he was experiencing frightened him. Snape had never felt so lonely before. Now that it was the holidays, there were no students and teachers for him to nettle. Some nights, the feelings had been so intense that he had struggled to breathe, his eyes had stung painfully. Sometimes, he imagined he heard Fenix's sometimes cynical voice, the taunts that came from Black, the gentle humor from the werewolf, and even Ron's loud voice. He heard the giggles of Ginny and Hermione when they had stared at the sketch of a half-nude Potions Master, then the curses that left Harry's and his godson's mouth. 

Snape covered his face with both hands, wondering why he had changed so drastically, or why he wanted that change. He slowly pushed the thought away, filing it so that he would be able to examine when he's in a brighter mood. Snape had never found human contact as warm as what Fenix had given him. Those days with Draco's father were always filled with taunts (but he hated Sirius's taunts more), and Narcissa, Lucius's wife had openly flirted with him and that disgust him still. But then Lucius had become warmer when his heir was born, the gift of fatherhood. Lucius had wanted more as he watched the baby grow, crawling on his knees, taking his first steps, hearing the first word. But his wife refused to give him more. Lucius had what he wanted, his heir and then, cold-hearted, icy Malfoy returned into the picture and so did the obsession (if it had been obsession in the first place) of resurrecting Voldemort. Snape let out a long sigh. 

Then his thoughts turned toward the Fire Master and he wondered if Sirius and Remus resented of the close ties that both Masters shared. _Don't dwell on it and make yourself feel bad. Gods... I miss them. _Snape was aware that he was trembling, his heart aching to be in the company of _his_ friends. He was afraid that they might be taken away from him and then he recalled the visit that Draco had made one night.

__

" Something important. I can't help it. It's getting worse every night and I'm afraid that I would lose something which is important to me..."

A ragged breath escaped from the Potions Master's throat. He wanted to be with them. Snape wasn't sure if he could stand being alone for ten more weeks without going mad. _I wonder if Dumbledore has any clue where she lives?_

**********

****

At the Maxwells'.

"Are you done?" Draco asked his oathbrother patiently, rolling up his finished Potions homework. The two were utilizing Fenix's study room to complete their homework. Harry frowned, writing feverishly on the parchment and sighed with relief. 

"Yeah," Harry answered belatedly and the two youths stacked their stuff neatly and placed it aside before rushing down to the living room. It was twelve minutes past ten in the evening and it suited them just fine that Fenix didn't place a curfew on them. Draco groaned when he saw that Fenix had occupied the entire couch, entertaining the baby. The moment the Slytherin caught the baby's eyes, Spencer squealed with delight and Fenix gave a visible wince at the infant's vocal strength and grunted when baby Spencer began jumping on her stomach. 

"Okay Drake. It's your turn to entertain this fella," Fenix said between grunts and Draco sighed. He complied however, since he was entranced with the baby as everyone else, although Harry still felt skittish at holding Spencer without supervision. Once Fenix was relieved of her nephew, she scooted down to cuddle next to her partner, making Sirius roll his eyes at the couple. Harry laughed and sat next to his godfather on an armchair and watched TV while his oathbrother was contented to make faces at the baby.

Fenix smiled and purred slightly, knowing that her partner liked to head the sound and Remus pulled her closer. She closed her eyes and reached a thought. It was time to make a call on someone they miss very much. 

__

: Sev? : she called out softly.

__

: Hmmm? : a sleepy inquiring thought filled her mind.

Fenix immediately became worried. She formed her thought carefully before sending it to the Potions Master. _: Sev, are you all right? You're in bed earlier than usual. : _

: Blasted research papers and goddamn journals. You know how they make your head feel as if it's been stuffed full of conflicting research theories, : Snape answered drily and Fenix chuckled. Snape was silent for a moment and he spoke shyly, _: I miss you. : _

Fenix hid a smile and asked mischievously. _: Only me? Or everybody in general? : _

: That werewolf of yours would hex me... maybe claw me to death if I say it's the first. Your_ oathbrother would drop me off a cliff if I say it's the first. So of course I miss you... guys, : _Snape answered drily, not sounding as sleepy as he had a few minutes ago. 

Fenix chuckled harder this time and Remus looked down at his partner curiously. _: You're disappointing me, Sev. : _

Snape sent a wave of energy down the mind-link and it felt like she had just been hugged by the absent Potions Master. Out of the blue, he suddenly asked her for the coordinates of her house. Her delight was evident from the burst of light that filled Snape's mind, and she showed him just how happy she was when he relented.

__

: Do you miss me? : Snape asked abruptly. 

__

: Yes, : Fenix admitted then smiled faintly when Snape informed her that he would probably be coming sometime in the first week of July, and he listened to her advice about recruiting Moody along. They finally said their goodbyes, and Fenix relaxed against the warmth of her partner. 

Remus suddenly rolled on top of her and she gasped at the unexpected weight. She was blushing and through the oathbond she had with Sirius, her oathbrother was truly shocked. Harry looked down at the couple and chuckled, quickly shutting his more unboyish thoughts away. Draco's eyebrows had lifted so high up to his forehead that it was barely visible. 

"Remus! What in hell are you doing?" Fenix exclaimed and her face turned redder. "There are kids present!" Her frantic shouts drew her sister who was in the kitchen and Giselle stared at her sister who was pinned to the floor by the werewolf. She snickered and saw that her baby was looking at the couple with interest. She shrugged to herself and went back to her chores. 

"What were you discussing with our greasy-haired bat?" Remus asked mildly.

'Moony," Sirius spoke after clearing his throat, "if you wish to interrogate her, can you please do it in a less... provocative position?" 

The werewolf lifted his head and strands of his brown hair touched with gray covered one side of his face. "I happen to like this position very much, Padfoot," he answered, looking intently at Sirius. 

Fenix sighed and poked in between her partner's ribs and he flinched. "Snape's coming over soon, after he's done with that conference," she replied and Draco's face glowed when he heard that. 

"Seems like someone isn't used to be alone anymore," Harry snickered.

__

: You seem to have gotten the question wrong, lover, : Remus said lightly. _: So, I'll be blunt. Sometimes I think you're fascinated by Severus more than I fascinate you. : _

Fenix stopped herselffrom answering him immediately. This was not the first time that Remus had caught her in a private conversation and she had no idea how it happened. Not that it mattered, since from her gift of Empathy confirmed that Remus was feeling slightly envious. Fenix knew that she had to do something about it before the envy turns into something much more serious. 

__

: So you'd rather explain and argue about it? : Remus lifted his eyebrow in inquiry and she nodded. _: Very well. : _

The atmosphere suddenly changed when the couple got up in silence and left the living room. "I say we shouldn't try to contemplate what happened between the two," Sirius suggested and Harry agreed.

Draco too, seemed to have forgotten what had transpired between the couple when Spencer kept him busy by refusing to let go of the silvery blond hair from his little fingers. It was only fifteen minutes later when he spoke up, with baby Spencer still holding on to his locks. "It's jealousy I think." 

**********

****

In the bedroom.

Fenix was feeling slightly nervous. Her partner had calmly seated himself on the bed and was leaning against the headboard. He watched her unwaveringly as she stood before the bed in the dark room, with moonlight filtering through the window. 

__

: You're hurt by the words I shared with Sev, : Fenix whispered in his mind. 

__

: Yes, I am, : he answered, mindvoice flat.

__

: And you don't really like the way how both of us had become so close to each other, : Fenix went on. 

__

: Yes, : Remus answered in the same flat voice.

__

: But you're aware that I won't be able to change the relationship with Sev, : she said softly that Remus barely heard it.

__

: Fenix, you have to pick either one of us. You can't possibly have the two of us and expect me ti be fine with it. : 

Fenix stared at her partner for a long time. She wanted to be angry with him for thinking that she was double-crossing him but she didn't really want this to become a full-blown argument. If it was Sev who she had crossed, it would be all right because they would make up immediately but not with the werewolf. The two of them had seldom entangled themselves with misunderstandings but somehow, misunderstandings would come inevitably for them. Fenix sighed, then moved over to his side. He stared at her, his face hard and his eyes were icy. 

__

: Sometimes dear, you make me so angry that I'm at a loss for words, : she said softly, her eyes boring deeply into his. "Stupid, idiotic wolf." She leaned down until their faces were only an inch apart. 

__

: You can't make the hurt go away with kisses, : Remus answered in a warning tone. 

__

: Yes, I can't, : she agreed. _: Do you think you can live without him now that he's firmly part of our lives and hearts? Can you go for weeks without wishing that he's here to give his opinions? : _Fenix questioned him calmly and straightened her back. Grabbing the available stool, she planted it beside the bed, so that the couple were staring at each other in equal height. 

__

: You know, Remus, : she began calmly. _: If I had no intention of having only you as my mate, do you think I would have accepted this in the first place? : _Fenix fingered the ring that was on her ring finger. She stared at him and he briefly felt the resentment coming from her. _: For a man of a cool character, you can be incredibly narrow-minded. : _

Remus blinked his eyes once.

__

: I love Sev, just as I would love a female best friend. It's not our fault that we 'click'."

Remus said nothing and Fenix began to trace his jawline. _: I love you more, : _she said. 

__

: And how would you know that? : Remus casually pointed out, trying to maintain his firm demeanor and anger but he found it difficult to concentrate with the way her fingers were lightly touching his cheek. 

__

: I know my own heart better than you do, : she whispered in a dangerous way and he involuntarily gasped when she kissed him on his neck, just below his left earlobe. _: Are you going to stop thinking about this 'two-timing' thingy or not? : _

He made a faint sound of acquiescence, not being able to form even a coherent thought. She kissed him gently on his cheek and drew back to stare into his eyes. Even in the dimness of the room, she was able to see that his eyes were slightly unfocused. She gave him a brief mental caress and he suppressed the moan that threatened to emerge from his throat. _: There's no other man that would take care of my heart as well as you do. :_ His hands were already pulling her closer to him but she evaded his attempts to kiss her. _: And I'm simply too enticed by you to go and tease someone else, even if that someone's shoulders are nicer. : _

: Fenix... : Remus called her dangerously and she giggled. 

**********

****

Tuesday, 2nd July. Four in the afternoon.

Snape suppressed the urge to yawn. _Yawn? I can barely keep my eyes open!_ He stared blankly at the pockmarked face of his colleague who was rambling about the need to exploit more of the werewolves as test specimens. _Patience is a virtue Severus. Remember that. A few more hours and you'll be on your broomstick to be with your family. Patience is a virtue, _he repeated the phrase in his mind. 

"Snape, are you even listening?" the speaker's voice whipped out and Snape was careful to maintain his cool exterior.

"Yes, I am, Hawke. Now get to the point. We have five more speakers to go and not enough time to make a discreet escape out of this building." His voice was steely. 

"Just so he can cuddle up with that small, wanton Fire Master," someone uttered and Snape's coal-black eyes scanned the conference room slowly.

"Snape is right Hawke. Might I remind you that You-Know-Who and his lunatics are still on the loose? It's not like we're strong enough to take them on or having ample bodyguards to guard our lives," one wizard spoke in a very serious voice.

"I agree," the same wizard who had commented about Snape and the Fire Master. Snape stared at the man icily. "But as for the lunatics, it's already too late because we have one already seated comfortably in this room." The wizard leaned back in his chair, smirking.

Snape maintained his calm although his mind was creating tortures for that wizard. _No, I think Fenix freezing him in the insides is much cooler... _"Keep going Hawke," he heard himself order.

**********

****

At the Maxwells'.

Draco left Harry to feed the baby. Both adult wizards had accompanied Giselle, Aldren and Derian to replenish some supplies. Only Fenix, the wolves and the two oathbrothers with the baby were left in the house. 

Leaning against the kitchen's doorframe, Draco watched Fenix as she grated a thick bar of chocolate. Judging by what's been laid on the table, the Slytherin resolved that she was going to do some baking. The loud rumblings of his stomach galled him and Fenix chuckled because it had been loud enough for her to hear. 

"Dinner will have to wait until the rest comes home from shopping," Fenix said softly, still grating her piece of chocolate.

"I know," Draco said. "But the chicken wings smell so good..." He sniffed the air and sighed. 

An excited giggle from the baby reached their ears and Draco turned to peek. Harry had placed the empty milk bottle on the floor since the table was too far and he was rubbing gently on Spencer's back. The infant seemed to be amused by his own burps and bounced unsteadily on Harry's right thigh.

"I never thought that both of us would actually successfully babysit Spencer." Draco smiled gently. "You can use magic to do that you know."

Fenix looked up from the bowl. "I can?" At his nod, she pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Too late for me to use it. Anyway, the quality of the cookies might be different if I let magic contaminate the recipe." She rested her fingers for a bit before she continued with her grating. 

Draco sighed plaintively when his fingers started to itch. "Do you want me to batter up?" 

Fenix looked at him doubtfully and he gave her a sulky look, his eyes showing that he felt insulted. "I've watched you use your instruments before and I know in which order I'm supposed to throw everything in the mixing bowl. Cream the butter and sugar first, then flour that was already sifted with chemicals, I have no idea what they are and then the grated chocolate and chocolate chips." 

"It's bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and a bit of salt," Fenix said helpfully, and gave him a sheepish grin. "You learn fast," she said, sounding very impressed. Draco felt flattered and he moved closer to the table. One thing he liked about Fenix was that she prepared everything beforehand. The cake mixer was already ready for use and she had weighed everything. Draco went to the sink and washed his hands thoroughly before drying his hand on the disposable towels.

He then checked the butter and finding that it was soft, he picked the small bowl and grabbed a spoon, prodding the butter to drop into the center of the mixing bowl. Next, he reached out the bowl containing a mixture of white and brown sugar, and he watched it cascade down into the bowl. 

Draco then switched the main source of power on and then he carefully pushed the lever of the mixer to its minimum speed. Draco loved to watch Fenix batter but he admitted only to himself that he did not care much for weighing flour, butter and sugar. 

Fenix had already finished grating the bar of chocolate and watched Draco stir the mixer. _At least my arms won't be tired today. _When the mixture had turned fluffy, she helped him to pour the flour down a little at a time.

"Why didn't you just melt the chocolate down?" Draco asked absently and Fenix began pouring the grated chocolate. Draco, with his free hand, reached for the bowl of chocolate chips. _Lots _of chocolate chips of brown and white. 

"I've tried it but it didn't taste as nice as pieces of chocolate," Fenix answered.

A happy gurgle came from just outside the kitchen and Harry came in, holding Spencer securely in his arms. Although the chore was quite difficult since Spencer was kicking about happily. Fenix smiled at the baby and an adorable gasp came from Spencer as the infant watched Fenix's smiling eyes. She began clearing the table and washed the used utensils before she took the greased baking trays and several small spoons. 

"Ummmm... this taste really good," Draco said dreamily, licking his finger. He had just scraped off some of the batter from the side of the mixing bowl. "Very chocolatey." 

Fenix grinned at him conspiratorially and began to scoop up and soon, dollops of batter were on the tray, ready to be baked in the oven. Harry was about to sit when his godfather yelled in his mind. 

__

: We're home! : 

"That guy is crazy. Probably every elf within ten miles from my house heard his scream," Fenix muttered under he breath as she placed the tray into the oven with two Salamanders in them, making sure that the temperature remain constant.

They all left the kitchen and Spencer struggled harder when his father appeared, arms waving wildly. "If you don't mind me making an observation Derian," Harry spoke as he kept his hold onto the baby, "I swear that your baby isn't acting normally."

The elf chuckled as he placed his grocery bags on the floor and took Spencer. "But then, my son isn't exactly normal, judging by the male who fathered him," he said roguishly.

Fenix stood by the front door and surprised her partner with a kiss and he nearly dropped the bag containing several breakables. "What's this about?" he asked her suspiciously.

__

: I missed you, : Fenix answered simply and tugged the werewolf into the house. 

"What's for dinner?" Sirius asked brightly.

"Barbequed chicken only that it's been pan-fried, fish and chips, salad, and chocolate chip cookies," Draco answered and his stomach growled again. 

"The chicken smells really good," Remus agreed, licking his lips hungrily.

"You guys get cleaned up and then we can have dinner," Fenix advised. She faced Derian. "Spens," she called out and the baby stopped his gurgling and cooing, and stared at her. Then the baby shrieked out, struggling against his father to reach for Fenix. 

"You see what I mean when I say he's not normal," Harry commented to his oathbrother who was chuckling softly at the infant's unnatural antic. 

"Fenix, I haven't got to cuddle him all day!" Sirius, Remus and Giselle exclaimed at once

"Don't offend the baby's nose," Fenix said implacably and she received mindslaps from the three of them. 

**********

****

Nightfall.

Eyes watched the black clad man warily and at a given signal, two men loitering outside a bar began to tail the man cautiously. By the time Snape realized that he was being followed, it was already too late. All he could see was the rough piece of wood arcing up above him and it hit the back of his head. The second man managed to catch the limp body and the Apparated out of the area. A busking elf saw it but watched helplessly as she was too far away to be of help. Her eyes were good, and she saw just whom it was that had been abducted. She took a deep breath and sounded the alert.

**********

****

Back at the Maxwells'.

The dining room was as noisy as it could get and Fenix was happily washing the dishes as she half listened to the friendly debate between Sirius and his godson. She felt excruciating pain lancing in her mind. The plate in her fingers dropped into the sink and shattered.

She wasn't even aware that she had blacked out until she saw Aldren's concerned face looming over her. Memories came back to her; she saw Snape's smiling face turned into shock when the attackers appeared. _Gods... Sev... _Fear began to claw its way into her heart and she sat up, her eyes looking desperately for Draco. 

"Lover, what's wrong?" Remus asked her, his voice uncertain. He sounded as if he didn't really want to know what had happened. 

"Drake..." Fenix could barely speak. Her voice came out as a harsh whisper. "Sev... Your godfather... Gods... Voldemort has him." 

Eyes widened and Spencer began whimpering. Draco suddenly sat down on a chair. His fear returned in huge waves. His mind whirled with confusing and horrible thoughts. His vision faded in and out, he was horribly shocked by the news. _No... no... I don't want him to die... No... Not Snape. Gods... I won't cry. I realize it now... I don't want to lose my father... I don't want to lose Snape... I don't want to lose the people that I love._

**********


	68. Beneath the Wings

****

~ Chapter 68: Beneath the Wings ~

Thursday, 4th July. In the Twins' Mansion.

Isaac stared at Voldemort and the wizard that was bounded with numerous chains. The twins' eyes smoldered dangerously with anger but they had managed to get the Dark Lord to think that they were merely excited by the current display. Isaac exchanged a look with his twin. Damien's brown eyes had turned to almost black, so angered and nauseated by Voldemort. He gave Isaac a look that signified, _'This man's sick in the mind'_. Isaac nodded his agreement. Then he caught his brother's eyes again, mouthing Lucius's name and shaking his head, all the time looking at the bloodied, chained wizard.

Damien nodded his understanding and approached Voldemort. He whispered silkily into the Dark Lord's ear that they needed to make the preparations to welcome the Fire Master, but Voldemort was not even paying attention and the twins left the room. Isaac suddenly slammed his brother against the wall and kissed deeply. Death Eaters passed them without blinking an eye. 

**__**

Make sure that Lucius stays out of harm's way or he'll be killed for sure, Isaac said.

**__**

I'll try but I don't think we have to worry about him that much. He's probably drunk himself to stupor right now. But I wish we could do something for the other wizard, Damien replied.

**__**

I hate to admit this, but I think our chances of achieving our goals have just been multiplied with the presence of the betrayer. Fenix won't forgive us for this and she'll probably fight us with more determination, Isaac's thought was grim. 

They broke off from the kiss and made their way into the library where Lucius had closeted himself. Narcissa was nowhere to be seen but that suited the twins just fine, because her constant chattering and flirtations drove them almost to the point of madness.

The Ancients ignored the looks of the Death Eaters as they walked past and they headed up the stairs without any interruptions. To their relief, the second landing seemed to be deserted and they walked along the corridor. The Death Eaters from the ground floor were still watching them and Damien wondered what was going through their minds. They finally reached the intersection and were about to walk along the corridor where all the functional rooms were situated, when a delightful squeal and sounds of groaning filled the corridor. 

Damien suppressed his anger unsuccessfully and he fumed while Isaac stood rigidly on his feet his fists clenching and unclenching, then clenching again. "They're damn lucky that both of us will be dead by tonight. Bloody hell. Bastards. That rug cost us four times more than that bloody laptop," Isaac whispered. Disgust grew on his face as the groaning grew louder. "Maybe we should have set up some house rules before we gave them shelter. But I'm a fool to think that every one of them is more or less like Malfoy." 

"Too late, bro," Damien said quietly. "But I wish we could kill some of them ourselves. I know that _I _want to." 

"Hell. This way to the library is shorter," Isaac stared at the hallway in distaste.

"Oh no. I'm bloody well not going to walk past that goddamn opened door. They'll pull us in," Damien said firmly and tugged his brother's arm. He winked mischievously. The twins grinned before they disappeared. 

**********

A man with long white-gold hair leaned beside the window, holding a glass of plain water. Outside, the world was warmed by the benevolent light of the Sun. Wind played between the trees and the man watched a pair of birds engaged in a dance of pre-courtship. This room was his only solace, to protect himself from having to deal with the company of his own kind. The Dark Lord had thought that he was merely sulking away and wallowing in self-pity, but that was not why he had locked himself in the room.

Well, maybe he _was_ indulging in a bit of self-pity. He remembered Voldemort's cold hand against his chest and he shuddered. He just didn't want to be involved with anyone today. Now with him out of the way, his wife was probably entertaining and flaunting herself to the others but Lucius was simply too tired to deal with his wife.

The rays of sunlight that poked through the trees pulled a memory from his mind savagely. _~ It was himself, though younger and unconcerned. He was lying on his side, his chin propped up with his hand. He was wearing his customary black trousers and a simple white turtleneck shirt. His long pale hair was swept by the gentle breeze and a lock of his white-gold hair fell across his eyes and he carelessly pushed it away, tucking the lock behind his ear. He laughed, his eyes crinkled merrily. ~_

Lucius gasped, his left hand clenching on the windowsill with great pressure. He had _laughed_? He had given an unfeigned laugh? The memory swept him off again. 

__

~ He listened to soft frantic footfalls and listened to the high-pitched squeals. 

"Father! Father! I did it! I did it! I did it!" his son, barely five years of age, bounded up to him and crowing at the top of his lungs. In his small hands, was a small bird with Transfigured feathers. Lucius's younger self watched the bird as it was held gently by the still younger Draco. 

"No more the boring black mynah," the younger Lucius had spoken, treating the younger Draco with a smile. His son chuckled with delight, his small fingers stroking black-emerald feathers. Lucius's face suddenly turned grave. "Young dragon," Lucius spoke in a very severe tone. "How many times have I told you not to drop your weapons to the ground?" 

The smile quickly died from Draco's lips and it began to tremble. Draco immediately placed the bird on the ground and without another thought, the boy ran off to the spot where he had left his father's wand. The mynah paused to look at Lucius and it immediately fluttered away. Lucius did nothing to stop the bird from taking flight. 

However, the mynah swooped over Draco repeatedly, tousling the boy's hair gently before it completely took off. Mingled feelings showed on the young boy. "I wanted it to stay," Draco spoke in an absent tone. 

Lucius had stood up and brushed the dried leaves that clung onto his clothes. He approached his son, knelt then placed both hands on Draco's small shoulders. ~

Lucius frowned, trying to remember what he had said to his son but the memory disintegrated. The air prickled with energy and he stared around the library calmly. Someone was trying to break through his wards, to get into the library. Lucius's remaining eye widened when the twins appeared, spluttering and gasping for breath. 

"Bloody freaking hell! Damn it Lucius! This is _our_ goddamn library! Why in hell did you ward the entire place?" Damien shrieked and Isaac groaned at his twin's loud yell and the backlash that had occurred as they forced themselves to get past the wards. 

Lucius was about to answer when Isaac gave his twin a light punch. "The answer's pretty obvious, you dolt!" Lucius smiled faintly at that. Isaac was still speaking. "Hell. I guess it's probably much safer if we are to just depend on our two feet to get to a place." 

Lucius stared at the twins for a moment before he strengthened his wards. He thanked Merlin for small favors that since he was by far strongest in wizardry, others would fail to approach him except for Voldemort himself. His casting completed, he conjured up a pair of comfortable armchairs for the Ancients, acting as if _he's_ the owner of the library. 

"Drink?" Lucius asked in a civil tone. 

"No thank you," Isaac politely declined the offer, still groaning. Lucius nodded and he went to the side table to place his own forgotten drink when he felt eyes looking at his back.

Damien was unaware that he had been staring at Lucius's profile until Isaac sent a book flying out of its shelf and smacked Damien solidly behind his head. 

"OUCH!" Damien screamed for the second time, turning in his chair to glare at his twin as he massaged the tender spot.

Lucius did not know quite how to react to Damien's fascination. When he returned to their side, the twins were staring daggers at each other. As he was about to sit on another conjured up chair, Lucius found himself staring into Isaac's eyes.

"I'm surprised that you're still sober," the Ancient spoke in a sardonic voice.

Lucius made a noncommittal sound as he caught sight of the book on the floor. "So, what had made the two of you to visit your own library?" Lucius asked in a smooth voice, bending his form slightly to pick up the forgotten volume. He felt the blood rush up to his face when Damien made a soft sound of appreciation. "Please, Damien. I'm a married man." 

That earned him a derisive snort and Damien replied in a peculiar flirtatious voice, "But looking won't hurt right?" The Ancient leaned back against his chair. Then he spoke in a more serious voice. "Are your wounds still hurting you?" 

"They've healed. Although I don't understand why you helped me," Lucius answered, raising his arm and slid the book back to its place. Thinking about what Voldemort had done to him made his wounds ache. "Since you're here anyway, I might as well tell you that I'm fully aware of the return of the betrayer," Lucius said in a silky voice, ignoring the startled look that came from the Ancients. His expression turned bitter. "Only Bel knows how he had let himself be caught by a pair of amateurs."

"But as amateurish as the amateurs were, they got the job done," Damien answered.

Lucius stared at the twins and the twins stared back. Lucius finally took a deep breath and asked, "Why did you offer your aid to my Master? To even the odds against the Fire Master?"

Isaac raised an eyebrow at the direct question. "There's that, I agree. But at one point in our extended life, we had been Slytherins. We're also using your Master as a building block. _If_ everything goes as we had planned."

"I don't think the Fire Master will give in to you that easily. I've met her briefly, and she could be ruthless when the situation calls for it. Might I point out to you that she is also extremely fond of the betrayer?" Lucius cautioned the Ancients.

"And that's how it should be," Damien smirked, answering Lucius's indirect question as accurately as he could. 

Lucius stared at him, feeling more than stunned. His head began to pound and he slid onto the empty armchair, not taking his eyes off the twins.

Isaac stared seriously as Lucius. "Are you going to go and tell _him_ about this?" 

That snapped Lucius out of his self-induced haze and he snorted. "I had rather stayed here and start sampling on your beverages." Damien gave a soundless laugh and the library fell silent.

"What is he doing to the traitor?" Lucius finally questioned the twins in a small voice. 

Isaac and Damien exchanged wary looks before Damien answered. "He is not inducing pleasure if that's what you were asking."

"He was still holding to that whip when we came to find you," Isaac supplied and he continued. "He also had some knives in handy. He probably wants to–" He was quickly smothered by a Silencing Charm by Lucius.

"Please, Isaac. My stomach is feeling a little delicate this morning. I don't really want to hear the details."

**********

He couldn't think past the pain. His body was on fire, itching with agony. Snape wondered what Voldemort had done to make the insides of his mind burn and sensitive. His arms were pulled back behind him, straining his shoulder blades. He was on his knees and he noticed that he was without his robes, without his shirt. The Potions Master slowly opened his eyes and he was glad that the room he was in was without light. By the slight dampness and the chilliness of the room, Snape could only be in the cellar. As if by rousing himself to full consciousness, his body took the opportunity to send signals through his nervous system just how much he was suffering. Snape could not suppress the gasps; he was almost shrieking by the agonizing pain.

Knowledge quickly dawned on the Potions Master. Severus Snape, former Death Eater, had been flogged. He finally realized that the itching on his back was actually caused by his own blood. He panted raggedly, his mind trying to will the pain to go numb. Snape was gasping so loudly that it had muffled Voldemort's approach. 

__

CRACK!

The whip connected solidly on Snape's back. Stars filled the Potions Master's mind and a loud ringing noise filled his ears. Snape sagged forward, only to be held back by the magical chains that had closed in on his wrists. Some of his wounds broke open and had begun to bleed more freely. The pain was unbearable and Snape fell unconscious once more. 

"Here you are, in my presence and kneeling for me again, Severus," Voldemort purred, as he admired the long strands of pure black hair that covered half of the Potions Master's face. "You should have stayed with Lucius. Love has indeed made you a weakling, and more careless, Severus. But this... tattoo," Voldemort said softly as his fingers danced above the Phoenix's imprint, "seriously annoys me." Voldemort removed his fingers away and circled Snape once more, trying to think of ways to rectify the problem.

**********

****

At the Maxwell's. Up in Fenix's workroom.

The inner circle glowed faintly with blue fire and it gradually brightened. It merged with the steady golden light coming from the outer circle. Fenix, Harry, Draco, Cadriel and Dumbledore stood at the five points of the pentagon while Sirius, Remus, Aldren, Aberforth and Michelle stood at the points of the pentacle. Derian had wanted to join them in the search but he backed down after his brother and the Fire Master gave him cool gazes. The house was filled with elves that had self-appointed themselves to guard the occupants as they worked. The elves were more than happy to do that, because it had been so long since a last newborn, and they could not quite keep off from Spencer. 

They had lost track of time as they searched, trying to trace Draco's godfather. Draco felt his despair building up when they still had not come up with any clues where the Dark Lord was hidden. Harry sensed the dark emotions from his oathbrother and strengthened Draco with wordless encouragement and love. It was then when an image took form. It was a mansion and at first Draco thought it was his own home but then, the Malfoy Manor did not have an extensive maze. 

"Dumbledore, do you have any idea of where this is?" Fenix asked anxiously, her brow furrowing closer together as she memorized the landscape. 

It was Draco that had answered her. "I've been there before..." Draco said in a hushed voice. "But... but," he stuttered and the image of the house vanished. The glow faded and they froze in their places for a moment. "There had been no one living there... since the Leridiens had died a long time ago. Well... if what my father had told me was true."

Fenix released the pentacle and she sat tiredly on the floor. Harry was looking thoughtfully at Draco. He finally questioned his oathbrother. "So you were with your father then?" At his oathbrother's nod, Harry continued. "Then what were you doing on property that's not yours?"

Draco bit his lower lip as he struggled to remember. He knew he was still a toddler and he was alone with his father. "I was with Father because he wanted to show me something so I followed him, without Mother's knowledge I think. Father wanted to buy the estate and hand it down to me when I'm of age but he couldn't contact those who were taking care of the mansion then. At first, I was quite surprised that my father wanted to buy a house that had been standing for centuries and well... _antique_," Draco paused, taking a moment to rake his hair back. "It was until both of us slipped into the back of the house when I finally understood why Father had wanted that estate. The woods were... magical." Draco knew that one word was not enough to describe the feeling he had when he first drank in the magical view. 

Sirius looked somberly at the Slytherin and spoke softly. "Is there any way you could lead us there?" The Black felt disappointment washing him in waves when Draco shook his head. 

"I don't remember how Father brought me there. It is in an Unplottable area but..." Draco's voice trailed off.

Dumbledore peered intently at the Slytherin. He knew that something of the sort would eventually happen but he had not expected that the Potions Master would be the target. "Go on Draco," the Headmaster prodded gently.

Draco was looking at Harry in a peculiar manner and the latter shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Green-Eyes. Do you feel the uniqueness of Fenix's home?" Harry, not quite sure of what his oathbrother was asking him, did not answer. Draco elaborated the question further. "If you were to be in somewhere other than here, would you be able to find this place without using a map?"

Harry frowned and thought deeply. He finally saw where the conversation was taking him and he nodded his head with the Gryffindor-like confidence. "I think I would be able to match the 'feeling' from your memory to the earth energy. Even if the intensity of the 'feeling' had disintegrated with time, there should be some remnants lingering. That would be more than enough for me."

Remus let out his breath slowly. _Finally_, he thought to himself. _Finally, we're heading somewhere_. The werewolf stepped forward, catching Fenix's hand as she stood up. They wrapped their fingers around each other. Fenix gave him a small smile at his thoughtfulness to comfort her. She would have been at a loss if she was given to experience this situation on her own. But she have Sirius and her partner with her. Draco was speaking again but Fenix wasn't really paying attention to him. Her back was tingling painfully and she felt like she was suffering burns all over her body. 

"Fenix and I should be able to go there with Green-Eyes guiding us," Draco said.

"Is it possible if we come along?" Sirius asked his godson and Harry looked at him in surprise.

"Why do you want to?"

"Just answer my question will you?" Sirius grumbled and Harry nodded. 

They heard Fenix sucking on her breath, her eyes losing their focus as unbearable pain traveled in her body. _: Harry, when you meet that perverted, insane maniac, stick a few knives in for me? : _she requested, her mindvoice was accompanied with disgust and anger.

__

: What is Voldemort doing? What is Voldemort doing to Severus? : Sirius had approached her so fast that she was left to look blurrily at his face when he had grabbed her shoulders. Remus growled at him but Sirius ignored his best friend for the moment.

__

: He wants to... trying to... break Sev, : she answered flatly, her pupils dilating again and again.

Draco opened his mouth to speak but Cadriel shook his head, clasping the boy's shoulder in a gesture of sympathy and comfort. Draco wanted to get his godfather out of Voldemort's hands _now_. He did not want to think if something remotely similar such as his father's relationship with the Dark Lord, was happening to the finest Potions Master in the whole wizarding world. Draco closed his eyes and tried to find his inner peace. 

__

: Thank you Cadriel, : the Slytherin said simply, once he was calm. Then to the rest, "I guess we'll move out at night. This is how long I'll let that wizard hold on to my godfather." Then he exited out of the workroom to go into his bedroom. 

Harry stared at the opened door for a moment before he swiftly followed in his oathbrother's wake. In silent agreement, the oathbrothers went into Harry's bedroom and there they had stayed, sleeping next to each other until Aelwyn woke them up with the aroma of their lunch.

Fenix, Sirius and Remus once again resumed the position they had not fulfilled for weeks. Fenix's face was against the werewolf's chest while both of them had wrapped their arms around her. She was trying to sleep; she knew from the steady beating of the two hearts that Remus and Sirius were already asleep. Flashes of darkness, cracks of leather and the occasional glint of metal disturbed her mind. 

__

: Sev? Sev? : Fenix tried to contact him but it's either that the place he was in was so severely shielded or he was out of her range. _: Please Sev. Hold on... We'll be coming for you. I promised you. I don't want to break that promise. :_

**********

****

Just past sunset.

He shivered and froze when his involuntary movement caused his back to spasm with agony. His left shoulder was bleeding steadily but luckily for him, the lashings that he had received had dulled the pain when Voldemort buried a knife. His eyes were still closed but he knew that magical lights had appeared to brighten the room. Not that bright though, but just enough light for the Death Eaters to watch the Master create a master piece out of a Master. 

"Where is Lucius?" Voldemort questioned his followers in a husky voice. "Hmmm... I guess he is in the library. Mulciber, fetch him. I think both of us should enjoy this before the rescue team manages to find him. I want them to watch him die by my hands. And I want them to know that he is too far gone that not even the Fire Master would successfully bring him back to the living."

The group parted to let the specialist through and they watched Voldemort circling around Snape like a shark on the hunt. Voldemort placed the bloodied knife in his hand onto the table and took up the whip again. 

Snape still held his eyes close, breathing evenly and regained his cool composure, although that was quite dexterous under the circumstances he was in. He had been awakened by a chorus of voices echoing deeply in his mind and he had no idea if he should be thankful to those that had begun to care for him. Snape tried not to flinch as his blood trickled slowly down his side and collected at the back of his knee. 

"Open your eyes, Severus. I know you're awake," Voldemort whispered in his ear.

Snape was too overwhelmed with pain to even care anymore. He _sneered_ and turned his head slightly to stare at Voldemort's dark amber eyes. Anger flashed in them and the Dark Lord snarled at the Potions Master's impudence. The back of Voldemort's hand struck solidly on his cheek and Snape screamed mindlessly when Voldemort kicked brutally on his damaged shoulder. 

"Your screams are music to my ears, Severus. You should sing more for me," Voldemort whispered huskily. "Don't worry. I'm not going to break through your mind. I can't. You managed to block that from me. But there are other ways for me to do it. Imagine what will happen if I get my hands on Potter... or Lucius's progeny... Better, if I get Fenix again." 

"Don't utter her name. It's a blasphemy for you. Even the immortal bird has to die now and then and all of us know it. Except you," Snape said harshly, his eyes blinking away the tears that had formed involuntarily.

Lucius had arrived five minutes ago, not aware that Mulciber had been sent to fetch him. His stomach rolled about as he watched Snape, kneeling and bloodied and was about to become an experimental object under Voldemort's hands. _Just as well that _he_ does not think of Severus that way or Draco will lose his godfather forever. Damn you Severus. Why must you get caught by _him _of all your enemies?_ Voldemort finally realized that he was there and beckoned him to come closer. The Malfoy feigned an interested expression as he approached his Master, thinking of how he should proceed with his plan. 

**********

The Phoenix soared across the sky, ignoring the stupefied looks of the sky-watchers below her as she was guided by The Boy Who Lived. The mansion that had caught their interest was surrounded by dense greenery and they were reaching their goal. The passengers inside the Phoenix became puzzled when she skirted away from the house and Fenix heard Sirius cursing at her. 

__

: Oathsib, be silent. I'm trying to concentrate! : she snapped. She searched for the 'lock' of the wards surrounding the mansion and sent a bolt of energy into it. The wards shattered at the energy overload. 

Voldemort's followers boiled out of the stronghold to make their stand and were met readily by the Headmaster, Aberforth and Michelle. Fenix was about to resume her human form when she heard the screams of challenges and met the talons of a pair of eagles before they managed to skewer both Harry and his oathbrother. The three Ancients disappeared as the Phoenix pushed the pair of eagles upwards into the sky. 

Knowing that the mansion was now vulnerable to attack, Harry quickly merged with the Dragon and sleek, black fire blasted its way through the house, clearing the path for Dumbledore. The other wizards and the elves that came were given the task of securing the area. 

**********

From the moment that the Dark Lord felt the shattering of the wards, he knew that playtime was over. He seethed with anger, both at the interruption and with the way that Snape's mark simply refused to be disfigured. Voldemort was about to plunge the knife into Snape and Mulciber was more than ready to cast the Cruciatus Curse to amplify the pain when Lucius's lustful eyes turned clear. It was quickly replaced by blazoning hatred and he disarmed Voldemort. The spell took the Dark Lord by surprised and he was flung back against the wall. Mulciber had quickly changed the spell and Lucius with the mark of a true wizard, had trapped Mulciber and the Killing Curse in a shield. The sudden fray caused panic to spread in the room and most bolted out of the confinements of the cellar. However, the rest of the Death Eaters quickly regrouped themselves and quickly advanced towards Malfoy and the Potions Master. 

"You're a bloody fool, Lucius," Snape croaked out.

"Shut up, Severus," Lucius grated, concentrating on the wizards approaching them. 

Voldemort was trembling with anger and he picked up the knives that had been scattered to the floor. Grasping one hilt, he stared furiously at his servant. Voldemort's eyes widened for a moment when he saw Snape's lips began to move and a shield was suddenly erected over the outnumbered wizards. Taking a chance, Voldemort cast a spell on the blade before he threw it. The sharp projectile sliced the air but it missed Lucius's heart. Instead, it was buried deep on his servant's shoulder but the spell would work just fine. Lucius gasped, fell onto his knees and unintentionally fell across Snape's thighs. The Potions Master blacked out and the shield that had been protecting both of them disappeared. 

Voldemort was about to cast the same spell on Snape and the Death Eaters had bellowed the chanting of the Killing Curse as one when they were blinded by brilliant blue fire and were almost crushed by sleek darkness. 

Voldemort gasped, clutching his head that was throbbing painfully and willed his eyes to clear. Someone stood protectively before the two injured wizards. It was a boy with shoulder-length, silver-blond hair, wearing a simple white T-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. A glint of silver and blue caught the Dark Lord's eyes. His eyes focusing keenly, he saw that it was a bracelet, with a burning image of the Phoenix engraved into it. 

"Come any closer, I will kill you," Draco threatened in a cool voice, seemingly unconcerned that there was one Dark Sorcerer present in the same room with him. Draco slowly released the catch of the bracelet and casually placed it directly onto Snape's left forearm. The older Malfoy blacked out as the magic of both Dragon and Phoenix began to counteract with the spell that had been embedded into his body and Snape was released from the chains. The Potions Master was trying to get Lucius to sit up but finally gave up, letting the unconscious wizard rest on his thighs. His godson had already stepped out of the shield, which was held strong by the boy himself and the magical properties of the bracelet that Fenix had created for him for his birthday. 

"You're just a boy to make such threats to us!" one Death Eater said defiantly.

Draco raised one thin eyebrow at the speaker. "I don't think so... considering the many crooks that I had made friends with over the year. And be warned: I _am _a Slytherin," Draco said in a bored voice.

__

"It's time. Turn around and face me, Voldemort. I am your opponent for the night." 

The Dark Lord slowly turned and finally met the cold, impassive emerald eyes that he had hunted for years. Voldemort strangled when something gripped him hard. The Boy Who Lived had taken Voldemort off to their own dueling space.

**********

**__**

Post-author notes: 

So how do you like this chapter? Is it depressing? Well... two more chaps to go and It's Over! :


	69. Duels

****

~ Chapter 69: Duels ~

At the Burrow.

It had been an hour since dinner had been laid out for the Weasley family. It had been fifty-two minutes ago when Mr. Weasley, Percy and Bill had Apparated home together. It had been forty-nine minutes ago when the three had just sat down without any kind of greetings for the rest of the family members. It had been forty-four minutes ago when Mrs. Weasley had looked anxiously at her husband and the twins had exchanged puzzled glances with Charlie and their two younger siblings. It had been thirty-nine minutes ago when Mr. Weasley had said gently to his wife that Snape had been kidnaped two days ago by Voldemort's henchmen. 

Mrs. Weasley's eyes had gone wide and Ginny had given a horrified gasp. Ron simply looked stunned. It was thirty-three minutes ago when Bill had told the rest that Dumbledore, Aberforth, Moody and several others had gone on to Fenix's house earlier that morning. It was four minutes later when Mrs. Weasley finally understood what her husband had been trying to inform her.

Thirty-one minutes had passed and the Weasleys were still silent, their dinner forgotten. It was two minutes later when Mrs. Weasley finally broke the unbearable silence. Her face was quite pale, her eyes filled with fear as she stared at her husband.

"They will be all right, won't they?" she asked softly, looking pleadingly at her husband.

"I hope so Molly. I hope so..." her husband answered as he got up to give his wife a reassuring hug. It was then when the Grangers suddenly appeared. 

Not really caring if Mrs. Weasley would be offended by her affectionate gesture, Hermione fled into Ron's arms and hugged him tightly. The adults exchanged somber greetings and Mrs. Weasley looked at Mrs. Granger in confusion when Hermione's mother handed her a piece of paper. It turned out to be a letter from the oathbrothers. Although it was addressed to Hermione alone, the two boys had expected her to circulate it. 

"We just received the mail this afternoon," Mrs. Granger spoke softly. "We would have come here sooner--"

She was quickly interrupted by her husband who spoke in a weary voice. "– If we had not been so shocked by the news."

"So, what did they say?" Ginny asked in a small voice, with Fred placing an arm around her small shoulders. 

Mrs. Weasley began to read the letter in a monotonous voice, her brain not really registering the words that she was reading aloud. 

__

"Dear Hermione & Co.

We just want to inform you that my godfather had been abducted by the Dark Lord's followers and we're about to attempt a rescue mission in about a few hours time, but we would probably be at it once Hermione show this letter to you.

*Harry speaking now* This is really strange, typing words on a keyboard but I guess Drake is more bewildered by the technology than I. Anyway, we have found out where Snape was taken and tonight... well, it's going to get very noisy. 

*Drake speaking* We'll try to get everyone back safely, alive and in one piece. Don't worry too much about us. We'll do the worrying for you. You guys stay home and stay out of trouble. Oh yes... Sirius wants all of you to keep your wands out and ready. Death Eaters might be Apparating all over to add on confusion." 

"Crazy git," Ron mumbled, still holding Hermione. "He tells us to stay out of trouble and then says that we might be jumped on by lunatics." His mother continued from where she had stopped. 

__

"*Harry speaking* PS: If you have any requests on what I should do when I meet up with Voldemort, send messages by the Sylphs. I had one from Fenix: she wants me to stick Voldemort with several sharp knives. Sirius wants me to deflate his ego. Prof. Lupin wants me to clean Voldemort's mind inside out. Drake wanted more or less the same things. 

*Drake here* We're smiling as we write this or should I say type? Whatever... but we can't help smiling because we're feeling sadistic (though Green-Eyes say it's just my Slytherinish nature) so hope you don't mind the bizarreness of the letter. We hope we can get the job done by tonight.

We love you and hope tonight was worth our lives.

Love again,

The Sadistic Oathbrothers." 

The dining room fell silent once more and Mrs. Weasley carefully placed the letter on the table, staring avidly at it. 

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered. 

"So..." Meridien the Sylph called into the kitchen. "Any requests?" 

"Make Voldemort feel extremely bizarre!" blurted the twins, Ron and Ginny. 

"Added. More?" the Sylph asked again.

Bill, Charlie and Hermione's parents smiled evilly. "Death comes for him."

"Added," the Sylph responded and went to hover in front of Hermione. "No request from you?"

"The Silver Wheel. I want Fenix to send him there," Hermione whispered, with a stony expression on her face. "I'm not going to worry much about Harry, but I want Fenix to make sure that Voldemort won't be able to be revived no matter what circumstances."

"Done." The Sylph disappeared to pass the messages to the other Sylphs.

**********

Even at such close quarters, Draco was calm and his mind was strangely clear. His eyes flickered steadily with dark emerald fire as bursts of white light shoots out from the tip to his wand and then collided with the Death Eaters that he had targeted. 

Narcissa was looking at the young man with disbelief. Although the adults were larger in numbers and they were certainly more experienced in magic than he, they couldn't even disarm the boy with the simple but effective 'Expelliarmus'. Narcissa watched Draco angrily, not quite believing that Lucius had turned treacherous to Voldemort. Draco was still standing protectively before his 'fathers', defiance showing clearly on his face and his ethereal eyes. 

Draco was just playing with the followers that wanted him, his father and godfather dead. But Draco had set up some codes of general ethics (for now) that he would not kill at such a young age in the calculative manner that Fenix was capable of. So he was content to deliver major but non-life threatening blows to the opponents. Draco dimly heard his father's gasps of agony and he noticed that Lucius's breathing had turned irregular. Draco knew that the bracelet Fenix had made for him held a bit of Healing magic and Snape by now had recovered enough to move a little. 

While Draco was concentrating on the Death Eaters that kept coming for them, the Potions Master had ignored his own injuries (especially his injured shoulder) to remove the knife that was buried deeply in Lucius's back. He did not have his wand. Voldemort had probably destroyed it or something but it didn't matter to Snape now. The Potions Master was almost about to put pressure on the wound using his own hands when something pushed him away.

__

:It's me, : Krill's deep mindvoice resonated heavily in Snape's mind. Then relief quickly turned into alarm when the Salamander began to yell extremely vile things in Snape's mind. He vaguely made out that Voldemort had successfully managed to cast some sort of a death spell in Lucius's body. It was Snape's turn to curse and he informed his godson who was now flicking spells with one hand while his mind worked to insinuate impressions in their minds. Some Death Eaters bolted out of the cellar, screaming at the top of their lungs. 

After a moment of consideration, Draco divided some energy into his father to stabilize the man's condition while he dealt with three demons that had been summoned by Narcissa and several others. The cellar stank with the scent of rotten things and Draco's nose itched uncomfortably. The Slytherin wished he hadn't examined the demons carefully because they were extremely rude in terms of appearance. He couldn't help snarling in disgust as he watched the creatures trying to claw their way in through his shields. 

Knowing that more demons would probably be summoned and that the others might be caught unaware, Draco made a quick decision to Apparate out of the cellar. He had not taken the test much less getting the license but he and Harry had been studying that ever since they had taken residence in Fenix's house. He was greatly relieved when he found that he had Teleported his 'fathers' safely into Fenix's house. It seemed that the Elven Lord had been waiting for the injured and Draco watched as Evangiana and her betrothed, the computer whiz, Cathal stepped forward to help.

Snape was looking at Giana with apprehension and she chuckled warmly. _: Don't look at me like that. I'm well out of your reach now. Happily betrothed, Sev, : _her eyes twinkled as she used the nick that Fenix had tagged the Potions Master with. 

Snape's face cleared, obviously relieved that he would not be entangling himself in romances. The other elves and Giselle came forward, and Giselle began bossing the elves around, much to Giana's amusement. 

Draco left them and reappeared in the cellar. Amazingly, it hadn't occurred to Narcissa ti let the demons go and create chaos elsewhere. Draco flexed his muscles a bit. The knowledge that no one was there to reprimand him for his actions made him feel even more daring. Not to mention that he wanted to experiment with his powers a little. Draco waved his wand and Narcissa was blasted off with a strong stupefaction charm. Transforming himself, Draco engulfed the demons, and began purifying the Unclean beings to harmless dust. Once the demons were out of the picture, Draco paid more attention to the Death Eaters that were looking at him with uncertainty. A smile began to form on Draco's face and it wasn't pretty to look at. 

**********

****

Ninety minutes later...

The Phoenix bit down on the shoulder of the smaller eagle and then she herself was bruised on her side as fisted talons knocked her off. The fight had abruptly changed into a contest of physical strength and tactics rather than simply magic. The three Ancients were fighting off in another dimension that Damien had created inside the forest, to prevent any kind of interruption. The only escape route out of that dimension (for Fenix at least) will be opened if Fenix managed to kill the creator of the place. 

Inside, Fenix was troubled. She did not really want to kill her own kind, but she was uncertain. They were fighting too seriously and it was her instinct to fight back and survive. _Damnation... I have to make up my mind soon..._ She had never dueled using her own form for long periods of time and it was an exhilarating experience. The strange vibrations in the surrounding alerted her that the twins were about to use magic on her. 

She felt the bigger of the two began to tear her outer defenses brutally, probably trying to find the core that held her life. She was then distracted by the smaller eagle who had created another 'self' but only that the Phoenix was of red flames. 

__

All right... Bloody hell... Now I have to deal with another me. Just great. My night couldn't get any better... Fenix skillfully dodged a talon but that did not prevent the other Phoenix from sinking its razor sharp teeth around her neck. If Fenix had been in her human form, she was more than likely to be blinded by the strong waves of magical energy coursing through her mind and body. She cried out in pain, automatically clenching her talons on one wing. Fenix grew increasingly tired when the three began to attack her furiously. 

The Red Phoenix was certainly doing much more damage than the other two Ancients and Fenix surmised that if she left the situation as it is, she'll be in trouble. BIG trouble. She had to find ways to neutralize the other Phoenix. She dropped her shields and the two eagles scattered, horribly startled by the burning inferno. Then Damien belatedly realized why she had all those shields in the first place. It did not come across his mind that the shields were actually protecting _them_ than the other way around. She _was _a being of Fire, the strongest of all Elements. The Red Phoenix was just an imitation; it didn't _burn_ the way Fenix did. Damien's reflexes had somehow slowed as he watched the fiery blue Phoenix gain height and then plunged to take the Red Phoenix down. Sharp, fiery talons pierced through the imitation easily, Fire and Magic had begun to spread quickly inside the imitation. Since Damien was still linked to his creation, he was infected too. Raw power spread throughout his body like a neurotoxin, quickly paralyzing him. 

One eagle disappeared from the battle zone and so did the dimension. Isaac took some time to process what had just occurred and blinding rage consumed the Ancient. He shrieked and rushed for Fenix. He had been watching how she had killed the imitation and he guessed that her life source should be in the same general area. His bigger build provided him with an advantage and the Phoenix squirmed against his vicelike grip. Isaac delivered his power of destruction directly into her chest, not caring that her Fire was scorching him painfully. 

Rational thoughts disappeared as killing and survival instincts took over. Fenix wasn't sure what had happened. She only knew that she was desperate to live, unwilling to let go now that she had found her mate. If she happens to get eliminated _now_, there was no way that she would be returning to the world. She suspected that she might have cheated, using her gifts as a Healer and an Empath. However, she still had no idea of how Isaac died in her hands– talons to be precise. The battle ended, and Phoenix descended to the ground. Seconds later, Fenix, mussed, bloodied, and disheveled sat tiredly against a tree, looking at the dead twins in a dazed manner. She was horrified by what she had done and her mental, desperate cries brought her werewolf running to her.

The urgency of her cries made Remus left the body to Jaheera and Moody took his place so that he could go to her. One wizard tried to stop him but Remus's hand flickered so quickly that the spell hit the wizard's neck and snapped with a sickening sound. His run slowed to a walk as he saw the Fire Master. In the dim moonlight, he saw her shoulders trembling with grief but her eyes were surprisingly clear. _She's in shock, _he thought to himself. He didn't let go of his wand, watching the surroundings carefully as he held her. 

She still had not stopped trembling as they watched the bodies of the Ancients began to turn into dim white sparkles, slowly evaporating into the air. Remus had something important to tell her, but he feared that the news might break her heart if she hears the news now. So the werewolf kept his silence, holding her, caressing her mind with wordless comforting thoughts, still watching the forest warily. 

**********

__

"Crucio!" Voldemort roared as Harry shouted a Shield Charm and the spell bounded off harmlessly. While Fenix had been fighting off the two Ancients, the two wizards were still flinging spells at each other. 

Harry had brought the other wizard to his own world, a world that was only filled with white light. Harry was working on the Dark Lord until Voldemort became slightly crazed by his annoying intent of just defending himself against Voldemort's attacks. 

__

"Stupefy!" Harry's young voice echoed in the room eerily. 

By now, Voldemort was incoherent with rage. As the words '_Avada Kedavra_' left his mouth, his mind willed several numerous chains to appear. They wrapped around Harry's tall and slender form, and began to contract. Harry saw stars for a moment and fought off the wave of dizziness that arose from the lack of air. He knew that at least several of his ribs were either cracked or broken. The Killing Curse was negated quickly by a jet of blue light that Harry threw, and just in time. Harry did not care to experiment if the curse would in the end kill Voldemort. Harry paled as Voldemort commanded the chains to bind him much harder and Harry's wand dropped to the floor. 

Voldemort was making hissing noises and the next thought that flashed into his mind was 'Bloody hell'. Vipers were entangled all around him and he wondered what he should do to get himself out of that. Harry managed to steal a glance at Voldemort. The Dark Lord was looking at him and Harry felt a sickening feeling at the pit of his stomach as he watched Voldemort's face broke out into a cruel, insane smile.

"You're just a boy. A Gryffindor boy with no sense. But I... I am a sorcerer. The greatest," Voldemort whispered, the smile not quite dying from his face. 

Harry took a deep breath to calm his nerves and without thinking, he had actually answered the Dark Lord. "Whatever." 

To Voldemort's profound amazement, the vipers dropped to the floor after finding themselves clutching at nothing but empty air. Then he saw Harry standing five feet away from the pool of vipers. Then he saw another Harry. And another. Voldemort frowned. _The boy couldn't have created illusions at such a short notice, _Voldemort thought incredulously. 

The Dark Lord quickly muttered something in Norse and an illusion of Harry disappeared as Voldemort's spell hit the image. Harry's eyes narrowed at Voldemort's tired but quick response. _And here I was wishing that he's getting tired. _Harry reappeared behind the Dark Lord's back but Voldemort did not notice him, so intent on blasting of each of Harry's illusions. Harry ignored his forgotten wand for a moment and he reached out to yank Voldemort's mind painfully. That caught the Dark Lord off-guard and Voldemort let out a strangled shriek.

__

: I seriously recommend you not to think about anything lest I pick up your secrets accidentally. I'm just doing Fenix's request right now. She didn't really appreciate the anxiousness you had caused her by torturing our Potions Master. : 

Voldemort muffled his screams as his mind exploded painfully, like as if someone was piercing him repeated with a cruel meat-hook. Harry calmly summoned his wand as he watched Voldemort fighting an internal battle. Out of the blue, Voldemort whipped his wand out and a spell sent Harry flying to land on his back. _"Crucio!" _Voldemort shouted furiously. He seemed to have gotten his control back and was already– though a trifle shakily– getting up to his feet.

Harry still lay flat, thoroughly winded, gasping for breath and his eyes watered. His glasses had disappeared somewhere and he cursed vehemently. He felt his insides burn, and his heart constricted painfully then gave a mental curse at himself for getting too agitated. Then he cursed again when Voldemort hit him with another Cruciatus. If his ribs had only cracked, they were certainly in a more serious state now. Harry began to build shields to protect himself for as long as he needed to catch his breath. The pain had begun to intensify and Harry fought with himself. He did not want to writhe on the ground, portraying his agony, not with Voldemort watching. 

Harry slowly pushed himself off the ground and got up to his feet with great difficulty. _I hate being short-sighted..._ Although the scene about him was blurry, he managed to stare directly into Voldemort's eyes. Harry took a deep breath and felt the earth energy about him, along with the ancient magic that had been cultivated by the no-longer present Leridiens, slowly entered and suffused him. That numbed the pain that was wrought by the Cruciatus curse and Harry felt that he was at least able to breathe without difficulty.

__

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort launched the spell as he took several steps forward. The curse fragmented as it hit the shield. 

Quite suddenly, the world they were in began to shrink and Voldemort was closed in with Harry. Both of them were within touching distance and the Dark Lord was more than just surprised by that. "I would have done this months ago," Harry said in a soft voice as he raised both hands to rest gently on Voldemort's shoulders. Once again, Voldemort was paralyzed by something and he felt that he should have recognized the touch but it eluded him. The Dark Lord was still clueless that it had been Harry who had drained him of his powers those months ago. "But I wasn't really there at that time so I had to leave you be," Harry murmured and dimly heard the sudden noise when Voldemort's wand dropped. They stared at each other for a long time, even if Harry's eyesight were taking the fun out of it. 

Minutes passed and Harry felt Dumbledore's presence although Harry couldn't see him. Then Sirius was there and so was his oathbrother. Harry waited patiently. Remus came in, carrying a weakened Fenix. That worried Harry a bit but she assured him via mindspeech that she was up to the task. Harry finally closed his eyes and felt Voldemort's furious gaze upon his eyelids. Harry lost his substantial form, becoming a cloud of hazy, white cloud and slowly curled about Voldemort. 

No one could have prepared what happened next. It felt like the world had somehow dropped and their stomachs lurched uncomfortably. Voldemort's screams were scary, booming over and over again. The Dark Lord had regained control of his body and was trying to escape the cloud that was Harry. Slowly, Voldemort's heart stopped beating and he finally stopped struggling. The body was slowly disintegrating and a smoky apparition began to emerge from the spot where Voldemort had died. It was Fenix's turn to move.

**********

The apparition became more visible and Fenix was about to lose herself in her other form when she was firmly stopped by three beings.

__

"You're tired, Fenix. Not much reserves left in you. I doubt your partner will be pleased if you become a vegetable for the next six months or so," Damien said lightly and Fenix stared at him, stunned beyond words.

__

"Leave him to us. We're heading in the same direction anyway," Isaac agreed as he reined in Voldemort's writhing soul. He made a clucking sound at the Dark Lord. _"Death isn't so bad you know but I doubt you'll understand my eagerness." _

The third person with the Ancients tilted his head solemnly at the Fire Master but she didn't return the greeting. Harry had returned as himself and sat gingerly on the cold marble floor, hands carefully cradling his chest. The third man bent down toward Harry and handed the glasses and wand to Harry. Once Harry's eyes focused, he and the stranger stared for a long time before the stranger gave him a nod and smiled. Harry returned it and watched the three with the Dark Lord disappear into nothingness. 

**********

Death watched the twins holding the Dark Lord tightly. Death wondered, _why is he so afraid of me? I can't be that horrible. Right? _Death was uncertain as he watched Tom Marvolo Riddle struggling in the grasp of the twins. 

"Isaac, will you hand him over to me?" Death requested politely and Damien narrowed his eyes suspiciously. 

"We will, but don't you dare let this guy slip off from your hands. The world has enough tyrants to maintain the balance but we don't have to complicate matters by letting him go to join the crowd," the older twin replied. His voice sounded uncertain but he released his hold and Damien followed several seconds later. 

Voldemort stood still as the twins walked off, wondering just who the third person was. Damien looked back to stare penetratingly at Death, who was scrutinizing the Dark Lord carefully. The twins had finally reached the edge of the cliff and looked down. They took a deep breath and holding each other's hand, they let themselves fall into the slowly turning vortex. 

Voldemort wanted to run but somehow, Death's brooding gaze prevented him from doing so. "You've created so many chaos while you lived, Marvolo. And you had also managed to scramble the course of Time as well," Death murmured quietly into the darkness. "Why are you afraid of me?" Death whispered, taking several slow steps to get closer to the Dark Lord. 

"I'm afraid of no one!" Voldemort hissed, stepping back from Death unconsciously.

"Is that so?" Death asked mildly. "Then what are you afraid of?" 

Voldemort frowned then snarled at him but Death's eyes seemed to have seen the truth.

"Ah... is that it? You want to be dominant, to continue on living. You're afraid of dying. Thus you _are _afraid of me," Death stated in a satisfied voice. "Now don't feel ashamed. Everyone fears me at one point or another. Nevertheless, it feels good that I'm appreciated. Wish that the one named Fenix would appreciate me a little more," Death pouted and skillfully took Voldemort's hand in his. "But she comes in and out like it's routine." Death suddenly stopped in his tracks, giving Voldemort a sidelong glance. "You're a cold person, aren't you? I thought I was the coldest male in town but it seems that you had surpassed me," Death commented then tugged Voldemort to keep up with the pace. 

They kept on walking until they came to the edge of the cliff. Death gave a small smile. "You don't understand what I am I can tell." 

Naturally, Voldemort looked down and was hypnotized by the slow movement of the silver whirlpool at the bottom of the abyss. Death was speaking again, "Sorry lad, but it's not quite time yet. Why don't you step along that path there and see where it leads? I'll be waiting here for you," Death spoke gently and prodded Voldemort to move.

The Dark Lord was no longer in control of his body and he walked on the path then found himself sealed inside a vast gray room. He heard voices. So many voices that they drowned out each other and Voldemort could not make out a single word. Then a warm hand curled at the back of his neck and tightened steadily. Voldemort struggled briefly but stopped when he saw the face. A boy Voldemort had killed on the day that he had been resurrected. 

"There are worse things than Death himself," Cedric breathed into the Dark Lord's ear. "Welcome to the realm of Judgment, Lord Voldemort. We have been waiting for you for quite some time," Cedric whispered silkily.

Terror. Horror. Fear. Those emotions flashed across Voldemort's face. There were so many of them. Victims that he was responsible for and he couldn't run. He couldn't hide. Droning filled his mind and he screamed, but no sound came from his throat.

**********

"You all right, Green-Eyes?" Draco asked his oathbrother, his silver eyes darkening with grim concern. 

"Yeah. Sirius?" Harry looked around for his godfather and was slightly worried when Sirius ambled forward. The wizard was limping slightly and Harry saw that one side of his face was bruised, looking thoroughly walloped. 

"I'm here. Don't worry. I'm seriously all right," his godfather answered then slowly ran his fingers through the boy's dark, tousled hair. "But what about you?" 

"Broken ribs and Cruciatus... coming full force soon," Harry answered smiling a little. "But other than that, I think I'll live to see another year."

"Right you are boy," Moody congratulated although Harry secretly wished they would stop calling him a kid. Dumbledore and the rest looked relieved but the elves looked strangely somber.

"Fenix?" Remus whispered and the Fire Master tilted her head up to look tiredly at him. "Please, you have to come," the werewolf said softly. Fenix stared at him for a moment, and kept staring at him even as he lifted her once again. 

Harry urged his godfather to help him up, feeling slightly alarmed by the werewolf's graveness. _: Casualties? : _Harry asked, his throat suddenly went dry at the thought of it. Draco's lips tightened and he nodded once. Harry gulped and they silently followed Dumbledore out of the mansion. 

The building looked as if it had seriously undergone a world war. Death Eaters were sprawled unconscious everywhere, a few of them dead. Their backup had already arrived, mainly made up of the members of the Order, Aurors and the Ministry. They're in charge of putting Voldemort's cronies into prison, or a mental institute if required. 

Harry supported both by his oathbrother and godfather, walked slowly, trying to minimize his own movements. They were finally free from the shelter of the mansion and they were walking toward the wood. It was then, under the darkness of night and several small hovering mage lights that he saw Fenix. She was sitting on the ground, stroking the head slowly. Her eyes were blank and her face was masked, although she was crying. Remus made no move to comfort her; he just stood behind her back and watched. Harry frantically studied the faces of the elves but he couldn't tell who was missing from the group. 

When Harry got close enough to identify whom, it was that was lying on Fenix's lap, it felt as if he had been thrown off from his broom from a great height. Harry stopped and Draco could feel his shock. "Aldren..." his voice trailed off. 

"We tried to sa–" someone spoke up but Fenix cut him off quickly.

"Please... I don't want to hear it..." the Fire Master choked back a sob. 

"We'll have to Gate," Cadriel said in a soft voice as he stood up. He had been kneeling at Aldren's side ever since the elf went down. The other elves nodded their agreement. 

__

: Oathsib, : Fenix called Sirius urgently and Harry's godfather carefully let go of Harry's waist. Sirius quickly went to his oathsister and pulled her close, though he was careful not to dislodge Aldren from her lap. Harry saw that his godfather's face was tense, strangely looking as if the wizard was trying to hold back his tears.

Both the oathbrothers backed away from the view and Draco guided Harry to the shelter of an oak tree. Both sank to the ground carefully and leaned against each other for comfort. Both felt totally drained and Draco berated himself for using his powers too excessively.

__

: Well, at least this time we know Voldemort's done in for good, : Draco said gravely. Harry could only nod to that sentiment.

__

: How did Aldren... : Harry couldn't force the words out of his mouth so he kept his mouth shut and waited for his oathbrother to answer him. 

__

: Aldren was cut off from the rest and he was rather outnumbered. But I kept having the feeling that it was deliberate, coming from the Death Eaters. One of them had cast the same spell that Voldemort used to charm a knife and then Voldemort had thrown the knife at my father, : Draco said quietly. _: A life-energy draining spell as well as a way to shut down the system. But Aldren had been struck at his heart. At least it was a quick death. Aldren was dead even before he fell to the ground. : _

Harry stared at his oathbrother, feeling a little disturbed by the Slytherin's emotionless voice. _: Drake? : _

: It also means that my father won't live for long. There's no way to counteract that spell. : Draco closed his eyes and let his head rest on Harry's shoulder. Harry's arm came up automatically to hold his oathbrother and rested his cheek against the blond's hair. They sat together in silence, waiting for the elves to call them when they're ready to move.

**********

****

Saturday, 6th July.

Fenix was roaming the woods behind her house silently with her two wolves. Aldren was safely buried in the Grove last night and Fenix was just trying to pull herself out of depression. When they had returned home, Derian had been the first person to greet them. He took Aldren's death quite calmly and so did Mineif, but their sister was devastated. She had taken off, still in tears and Cathal and several of the elves had followed her, just to make sure that she would be all right.

Fenix stopped thinking, just feeling the gentle warmth of the sun and the scent of summer about her. She sighed and turned back toward the direction of her house. Wind and Silver were silent most of the time and Fenix felt grateful to them. Draco was waiting for her by the kitchen door, his eyes gazed absently at the herb garden. 

Seeing him, Fenix gave him a warm smile and returned the hug he gave her. His eyes searched her face carefully and softly asked the Fire Master, "Feeling better?" 

Fenix gave him a sad smile before she answered him. "I don't know Drake. I'm feeling too stoned to react properly. But what about you?" 

__

: I'm not handling it well either, : he answered her truthfully._ : Mineif says that Father doesn't have much time. : _

: Then all the more you should be with him, even though he's sleeping, : Fenix said softly and Draco looked at her contemplatively. 

__

: Why is it that you don't mind him being here? : 

Fenix gazed at him steadily and answered simply. _: Because he is your father, who loves you. :_ She took his hand and gently squeezed it. Uncertainty rippled through the silver depths and the sight of the Elven Lord standing at the bottom of the stairs made him tremble.

"There's nothing I could do for him, young one. Save for numbing his pain," Mineif spoke in an apologetic voice. Aldren's death had not stopped him from treating Lucius, but he was grateful that there was at least something he could distract himself with. Draco let out a sigh which he hadn't realized that he had been holding and quickly trotted up the stairs.

"Mineif. I– " But the Elven Lord swiftly placed one long, graceful finger upon her lips, shaking his head slightly.

"What's done is done. Life goes on," Mineif whispered and Fenix let herself be embraced by the elf. "You should visit 'Sev'. He's complaining to Sirius about why you have not been coming to check up on him." 

"I certainly don't believe that he wants me to get 'mothering' now," Fenix muttered darkly under her breath and pushed the Elven Lord to the living room, where his godson was waiting for his daily shoulder-ride. Fenix went up the stairs at a more sedate pace and stopped at the bedroom where Lucius was sleeping soundly. She saw Draco just sitting beside the bed, holding his father's hand and just stared at his father's face. She took a moment to examine Lucius from the door. The man was considerably paler and he had lost a lot of weight. She sighed, wishing that she could ease Draco's pain but unable to. 

Next, she stopped at Harry's bedroom. _: Harry? : _she called out softly and he opened the door. She noticed that his eyes were red and puffy and he definitely looked like he hadn't slept last night. _: Lad, you should rest, : _Fenix said as she tentatively touched his bandaged-covered ribs. 

__

: I know but I just felt that I should let it all go, : Harry lied smoothly. Well, he didn't really lie to her. Yes, he had been crying for years of anxiousness but he had also cried when his parents visited him for the last time. The reason as to why his parents had been lingering around had suddenly become very clear that Harry was surprised that he had not guessed it himself. Now, Voldemort was no longer a factor of their lives and his parents were free to move on. 

__

: I'm visiting your Potions Master. Coming? : Fenix asked, not noticing that Harry had wandered off in the space of his mind. 

Harry smiled and said, "Why not?" 

The two of them walked to the end of the corridor, to Fenix's bedroom to be exact. That was where Giselle had placed the Potions Master. Snape smiled when he saw who it was peering into the room. Fenix swiftly made her way to give Sirius a kiss and a hug before she gave Remus a full-blown kiss that made the werewolf blush painfully with embarrassment. Then she moved on to Snape, a little surprised that the Potions Master was wearing almost next to nothing except for his underpants and the bandages all over his body. 

"You see the truth now?" Snape demanded, looking indignantly at Harry's godfather. "She's the one who is ogling me!" 

"Careful Sev. I have dozens of drawing paper and lead pencils in this room," Fenix said in a dangerous tone. "And then I could send _them _over to Professor Vector as keepsakes." Sirius snorted at that and Remus's eyes twinkled mischievously.

__

: Are you okay? : Snape asked when Fenix had cooled off a little and gave him a careful hug.

__

: Yeah. I'll live, I guess. : 

Fenix sat herself beside Snape while the four males exchanged news as to what had been happening all over the world and Fenix was contented to just sit down and listened to them while she soothed the aches that the Potions Master was experiencing. She let their voices filled her mind, feeling the presences that made the room so alive and chuckled when Snape bellowed a protest when Harry impudently sat down on the bed, narrowly missing Snape's sprained ankle. He didn't realize he had twisted it during the brief scuffle after his meeting with the other Potions Masters. Her pain regarding Aldren gradually lessened as minutes passed. Several hours later, Draco joined them for dinner, having left his father in the care of Cadriel. Two hours later in that same bedroom, Sirius had grudgingly helped Draco balance the Potions Master as every bit of furniture (including Fenix's bed) was sent off to other parts of the house. Harry then conjured up a huge mattress into the room, along with several pillows and bolsters. 

For safety reasons, Fenix had arranged a soft but a reliable bolster beside Snape, so that he wouldn't hit his nose against the hard stone wall should he attempt to roll over in his sleep. _She_ was lying down beside Snape because she did not trust Sirius all that much to sleep beside the Potions Master. Especially since she had accidentally heard him discussing with _his_ godson about mummifying Snape's face. 

An hour later, the house was quiet and most lights were out except the kitchen and the living room, and the small mage light that was left in the room where Lucius slept under the watchful gaze of Cadriel. Fenix slept easily, her fingers resting lightly on Snape's left forearm while Remus had unconsciously treated her like a very comfortable bolster. Sirius slept on his side, with an empty space beside him since Harry knew that his godfather would roll about, sooner or later. Harry was the last one to fall asleep, since he wanted to watch over his oathbrother. The Slytherin was acting quite vulnerable, so torn with indecisions and worries. Harry had stopped all of that by saying simply that all of them would be there for him if he ever needed them. The two finally surrendered themselves to sleep.

**********

****

Monday, 8th July.

It was midmorning and Lucius was awake although he was weak. Draco still held onto his father's hand and Lucius seemed to be oddly comforted by that small gesture. Harry was looking out the window and he felt a little queasy being in the same room. Obviously, he felt like an intruder, clearly feeling that the Malfoys should be left alone but Draco had pleaded him to stay and Lucius did not demand that Harry should leave. 

"I can't hold on for much longer," Lucius whispered and Draco tightened his grip on his father's hand. "Give me your right hand, Draco," he commanded and Draco complied, automatically releasing his father's hand and opened his right palm. Lucius brought up his left hand and dropped something onto Draco's palm. Lucius breathed heavily as he withdrew his hand, trying hard not to succumb to sleep. He did not want to go. At least until he had said everything he had to say. 

Draco was looking down at his palm, feeling his father's magic spreading throughout his body. A signet ring. His father's own signet ring. Draco felt a little confused by that. 

Lucius interpreted his son's bewildered look accurately. "It's up to you if you wish to carry on with my name. You're more than equipped to handle the estate even by yourself. Just because I am a Death-Eater doesn't mean that I had gained everything illegally. I did work when I was younger if you must know." His lips quirked up into a smile when Draco blushed. "Behind _your_ life-sized portrait is a safe that only _you_ can open. It's not totally dependent on the ring. Can't have your mother swindle up _your_ proper inheritance, can I? Oh... I know she must have forged _that_, that's the reason why I had another set of locks." Lucius paused, trying to clear his blurring eye. _No... just a bit more... time... _

Harry had stopped staring at the landscape and had approached the bed slowly, finally stopping at a comfortable distance and began to slowly soothe the pain that Lucius was experiencing. Draco's father spoke again, in a much stronger baritone.

"Did you remember the time when you had Transfigured the feathers of a mynah?" Lucius asked and smiled when Draco nodded, though a little hesitantly. "Do you remember what I had said to you when the bird flew away?" Draco shook his head in a negative response. Lucius smiled faintly at his son. "If I remember rightly, I think it was this: _This is what I had wanted to show you. You might be too young to understand it but you will someday. There are just some things that you truly have to let go, for the better._" Lucius's smile brightened although Harry noticed that his eye was slightly unfocused. "You should tell your godfather that." 

__

: Drake, : Harry whispered in his oathbrother's mind.

__

: I know, : Draco answered as he stood up and was now sitting on the bed and Harry aided both of them so that Draco was able to hold his father in his arms. Draco tried to breathe evenly but the knowledge that his father was about to die was frightening him beyond imagination. "Father," Draco whispered in his father's ear. "I love you."

Lucius looked up, willing his eye to focus again on his son's face. "I am proud of you, Draco," he said simply that he abruptly addressed Harry in a smooth voice. "Mr. Potter, look after this brat of mine should Severus manages to blunder in the future."

"Yes, I will," Harry responded in a soft voice. 

Lucius intertwined his fingers with Draco's left hand and placed it on his heart. "I had never regretted the day ever since you came into being Draco. I can't remember if I had been deliriously happy before you were born. But I wished that you had siblings. If you had a sister, she'll be beautiful, considering how striking you are now. But maybe it's good that I don't have a daughter. I probably will have kittens when she starts growing into a teenager," Lucius's smile turned dreamy and he gave up in trying to force his vision to clear. "I love you, young dragon," Lucius murmured, smiling as he closed his eye.

"I love you, Father. Love you," Draco whispered hoarsely, as he struggled not to keen. He continued to watch his father's face. The wizard looked younger and peaceful, something Draco hadn't seen for a very long time. Draco felt the beatings of the heart beneath his fingers gradually weakened. It seemed that it had taken forever for his father to finally leave the world and yet it had been too soon. Draco did not stop the tears from flowing from his eyes, falling on top of his father's silvery-blond hair. Harry watched, saddened both by the man's passing but more of his oathbrother's sadness and he left the room to inform Snape and Fenix. Draco continued to hold onto his father, still repeating the three words in a voice below a whisper, while his mind sought to remember Lucius's voice forever. 

**********

**__**

Post-Author Notes:

Hey guys! How do you find this chapter? *Looks at readers anxiously* Was it bad? Did you guys cry? Are you happy with how the battles turned out? Was it anti-climatic? 


	70. Healing in the Summer

****

~ Chapter 70: Healing in the Summer ~

Friday, 12th July. In the kitchen of the Maxwells.

It was morning and the kitchen was alive with the sounds of cooking and conversation. Now and then, Sirius's loud laughter bounced off the walls of the kitchen. 

"Green-Eyes, if you don't lower that heat, what you're cooking will go down the trash bag," Draco said in a light-hearted tone.

"Keep your eyes on your own pan, Drake," Harry snorted as he swiftly divided the huge amount of scrambled egg onto the plates that were on the dining table. "This would still be edible even if they're overcooked. It is _your_ pancake that is in trouble," Harry said in a smug tone, and he moved on to make some fruit juice. Since Fenix was rather adamant about not using magic for simple household chores, Harry had to peel the mangoes and cut them in Muggle fashion. As he placed the sliced mango flesh into the blender, he added in a delighted tone. "Maybe you should have placed a bit more butter in there." 

Draco stared at him for a moment but his calmness quickly evaporated as he flipped the pancake over. It was burning. "– Bloody hell..." Draco stopped muttering and shot an angry look at Sirius who was chortling softly. The Black was sitting quite calmly on a chair as he flipped the pages of _The Scotsman. _

"Draco, you should learn to control that wagging tongue of yours," Snape said in a mild tone as he sipped on his hot chocolate. "I'm not even sure that a man could engage in that on his own," he remarked, trying to put on a stern expression. The Potions Master nearly succeeded if his face hadn't been marred by the slight tinge of red on his cheeks. 

"Oh, it's possible all right," Sirius said lightly. "You just got to be flexible but I doubt you could do that with your aging bones." 

Snape was contemplating about a Vanishing charm that would allow him to place the hot portion of scrambled egg inside Sirius's pants when Fenix came in with Spencer in her arms. Her eyes were boring suspiciously into his black eyes. Sirius smirked when the Potions Master gave a visible wince. Of course that only made Snape looked guiltier. Snape's expression changed quickly into a menacing scowl at Sirius and it so happened that Spencer was examining the Potions Master. The baby whimpered and struggled so that Fenix had to take several steps back. Fenix braced herself and waited until the baby stopped struggling then as quick as a lightning strike, she had Snape holding the baby. 

"Fenix!" Several male voices exclaimed at once. 

Fenix helped herself to the prepared mango juice. Slowly pouring some into her own cup, she watched Snape carefully. She then took several steps forward and Snape looked up at her with a pleading expression evident in his coal-black eyes. Spencer on the other hand, looked just about ready to burst into tears. 

"Lover..." Remus was standing by the kitchen door, looking at Snape holding the baby with mild amusement. "You're scaring Spens," he said with a little smile hovering on his lips. 

Fenix placed her glass of juice on top of the table before kneeling down and placed one hand to calm the baby. Smiling, she spoke softly but clearly, "Formal introduction, Spens. This is Severus Snape but I call him Sev. He is Drake's godfather, so you get to call him Uncle Sev." 

Spencer stared uncertainly at the aquiline face and then looked at the menacing face behind him. Snape was looking terrified too, although his reason was different. "Fenix, please take him back. My hands are a trifle unsteady to hold him safely," the Potions Master said in a small voice. Harry tried to stifle a smile. It wasn't every day you get to see a greasy-haired sour-tempered bat, holding a baby carefully in his arms. 

"You hold the baby like this," Fenix said as she helped to adjust the baby's position and carefully rearranged Snape's hands. The baby seemed less terrified as he faced the Potions Master. Baby Spencer immediately relaxed as the silver embroidery on Snape's cloak caught his attention. Satisfied, Fenix stood up and kissed both baby and wizard.

"Are you four ready to face the sharks?" Remus asked the crowd, although his question was mainly for the godfathers and their respective godsons. "Are you sure you can Apparate without mishaps?" the werewolf asked as he sat down beside Fenix. 

"You worry too much, Moony," Sirius said in between bites of pancakes. 

"Spens!" Derian called out from the stairs and the baby began bouncing up and down on Snape's thigh. The Potions Master winced when Spencer gripped Snape's shoulder a bit too tightly for comfort. Derian poked his head into the kitchen and Spencer crowed happily when his father came to view. The elf carefully picked his son up into his arms. The elf looked strangely weary to Fenix, but then so were they. 

Fenix felt a pang of sadness as she looked around the kitchen when she thought she felt Aldren's hair brushing across her face. She kept reminding herself that he was no longer around and tried to even her breathing. Derian saw the dilemma she was in and went round to give her a quick hug and then withdrew so that she could get on with breakfast. 

Fenix flashed him a smile before she broke the uneasy silence that had filled the kitchen. "Remus and I would be doing some shopping after breakfast. Any preferences of what you want to have for dinner?" she asked them, her eyes resting on Draco's exhausted face.

__

: Drake? : She managed to convey a lot of questions with just that one word. 

__

: It's nothing. Just that those men who want to land me into bankruptcy are making me more than just nervous, : Draco answered and Snape made a small sound of disgust. Fenix nodded sympathetically and was distracted by a loud crack that they all had been expecting. Harry and Draco quickly finished off their breakfast and sure enough, Bill swept into the kitchen. 

Fenix looked archly at him and Bill just waved his hand flippantly. "Just dressing up for the occasion," the Weasley said lightly.

"How did Ron fare?" Harry asked in an anxious tone and it quickly transited into alarm when Bill gave a grimace. "He's all right, isn't he?" Harry nearly squeaked.

"Yes he is. But I have to tell you that it was a big _disaster_. Scared the hell out of Mom. Thank god for the Aurors and the medics," Bill answered, still grimacing. "Hermione passed the test though."

"Are you sure you don't want me to send you guys there? Wiltshire is almost like the opposite end from my house," Fenix said in a worried tone and Sirius laughed outrightly. 

__

: You're acting more and more like my cousin, oathsib, : his mindvoice was amused and she shot a dirty look at him.

"Hmph. Well, what do you want? Chicken, fish, squid?" 

"Chicken wings, spaghetti and scones," Draco said easily, wiping his mouth briskly with a napkin. 

"You look impressive, if you don't mind me saying so," Bill said, his voice thick with approval as he gave the Slytherin the once-over.

Draco gave a crooked smile. "Why! Thank you Bill!" the Slytherin smirked and Fenix relaxed a little. It seems to her that everyone was slowly acting normally but she had to wonder if she would ever reach that state. Draco was still talking, his voice pitched low and her eyes slightly widened when the boy spoke in a slow, sensual voice. "Coming from the master of fashion that is high praise indeed." 

"It's my pleasure to do so Draco," Bill mimicked the Slytherin's voice as he gave a mock bow. 

"Drake, remember Alamanda," Fenix said in a strangled voice.

"Alamanda who?" Draco stood up, his long legs taking him to Bill's side in a few seconds. He eyed the Weasley suggestively while Bill managed to maintain his look of unruffled calm. 

Fenix opened her mouth several times but failed to come up with anything. The Potions Master looked at her wide-eyed expression and he chuckled. "Lighten up, fiery one. He's just teasing you," he said softly, the corners of his crinkling with mirth. Fenix however maintained her doubtful expression. 

Draco's laughter suddenly spilled out. "Fenix!" he gasped. "I'm not going to make the same mistake twice! One oathbrother is more than enough!" Draco clutched his sides then pouted charmingly.

"Drake..." Fenix said in an almost whining voice but she soon chuckled with the boy.

"Well, the sooner we get going, the sooner we can wrap things up," Snape finally said, straightening his robes. Sirius and Harry followed suit, giving Fenix a quick hug.

__

: Keep your wits about you. Death Eaters are still on the loose, : Fenix cautioned the group.

__

: We'll see you later, sister, : Sirius said gently and flashed her a smile.

Fenix watched the group disappear with loud cracks accompanying them simultaneously. Spencer was oblivious to the noise as he had fallen asleep in his father's arms. She stared at Remus, suddenly feeling shy. Derian watched them quizzically. 

"So... shall we go four by four or shall we take a walk to go shopping?" Fenix asked the werewolf softly.

"I'll go for the second choice," Remus said and she smiled warmly at him.

**********

Draco was sitting in the library, watching the group of people that had gathered while Bill scanned the will, and the documents of Draco's inheritance. Looting had occurred in the mansion. Somehow the house had lost their protections when Lucius died and since there were no house-elves, well no one could resist the temptation of stealing from a wealthy wizard. Some of them were rather unfortunate that they had chosen to linger around in the mansion when the five appeared suddenly. Things were quite hectic then. 

Nevertheless, the group made it without any sort of damage and half an hour later, Draco's relatives that had been informed of the meeting arrived. Some were rather outraged when they saw Draco wearing the signet and both Snape and Sirius had to hex them to keep things at a peaceful state. 

A grumpy looking wizard stared at the boy's relatives with open hostility. "That's it ladies and gentlemen. Lord Malfoy is certainly trained to take care of Lucius's properties..." he stopped when Draco looked at him without blinking.

"I wish to keep you in employment, to continue managing my properties while I study," the Slytherin said softly and Mr. Henrick looked absolutely pleased by that request.

"Certainly, my lord," the man beamed at him, ignoring the vile oaths that had erupted in the background. When Draco remained silent, Henrick continued. "Now, my lord. Your father owned some stuff that I am sure are somewhat _fascinating_, but I am not quite sure if you should still keep them," Henrick informed him, pausing to scowl at the door. Screams that belonged to a woman echoed loudly in the corridor.

Draco's eyes had narrowed dangerously and he stood, then walked slowly over to Harry. His oathbrother looked at him in puzzlement then stared back at the opened door.

__

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME, YOU MISFIT!!!!" 

Snape steeled himself and Harry was not surprised to see Narcissa struggling strongly against a grim-looking Tonks and Wenda. Narcissa was strangely filthy and unkempt. Snape had backed off, standing close to the opened window. Harry did not blame the man, since he knew that Snape _does_ have a keen sense of smell. 

"Angelus!" Narcissa screamed. "_He_ is not a Malfoy! We disowned him!"

Mr. Henrick looked at her in bafflement. "Yes, I know that," the man said slowly.

"Then you couldn't hand the property over to the _brat_!" she spat the last word out and Harry fully sympathized with his oathbrother. Narcissa had moved forward and was now standing before Draco, staring at him menacingly. At that, the relatives renewed their protests at Draco's large share. Mr. Henrick waited until a lull occurred naturally. 

"You seem to have misunderstood the circumstances, Narcissa," Henrick spoke in a calm voice, but his eyes were hard and seemed to challenge every soul that stared back into them. 

Bill stepped in, looking very severe in his splendid black dark blue robes. "The late Malfoy did say in an _authentic_ will that all properties are to be given to Draco, the son that he had _fathered_. He also specified that Draco, currently under the care of Mr. Snape, is entitled to the wealth that was hard-earned. He did _not_ say that Draco needs to be a legal son to _claim _the property."

Tonks gave an evil smirk at the dumbfounded looks on Narcissa and the other vultures. Mr. Henrick took the spot again, absently flipping over some documents.

"Ah... Here it is. Mr. Lucius Malfoy did spare some for you. But I'm afraid that they're for you to spend while you're in prison or when you're exiled to Russia."

"So it is done,' Bill said before he stared gravely at the Slytherin. "Do you have any further instructions?" 

"Yes. This house... You can do whatever you want with it. I doubt that I'll be coming to live here. But I want the wine bottles that are still safe and the books here. The portraits of my father's and my own," Draco said, then he nodded to himself.

The back of Harry's neck prickled and he hastily built a shield over the Aurors just as two 'relatives' let loose the Unforgivable Curses. 

"On no! You don't!" Tonks growled, then shouted at the top of her lungs. The two wizards fell to the floor, evidently stoned while Wenda worked proficiently to bind the wizards. 

Sirius and Snape slowly drew out their wands again while Henrick looked a little shaken. Both the godfathers exchanged a speculative glance. 

__

: If I had known that this might lead to an assassination attempt," Snape remarked to his godson, though he did not exclude Harry out of the conversation. _: I should have exercised all my wile to talk you out of accepting this duty. : _

: And here I was thinking that next year in Hogwarts might be a little less adventurous, : Harry muttered, and Draco's amusement traveled down through their oathbond. 

**********

****

Four in the afternoon.

Fenix hummed as she fried the marinated chicken wings while Snape helped in the preparation of spaghetti. Her partner was sitting quietly in the corner, babysitting Spencer. The baby was snuggling against the werewolf and Fenix felt slightly envious of the baby. She gave herself a mental slap and was unaware that she had muttered her thought aloud when Snape fell back onto a stool and laughed. She stared at the Potions Master in confusion but it cleared when she saw her partner staring at her intently. 

Without realizing it, she had licked her lips in a fairly seductive manner then blushed when her partner began to describe of the plans he had for them that night. Snape also blushed and he struggled to breathe but it was amazingly hard to do so as he was overwhelmed by another bout of laughter. 

After what had seemed like hours to Fenix, Snape finally managed to stop laughing and commented in a hoarse voice to Remus. "I didn't know that you–" Snape coughed. "That you can be so–" he coughed again. "_Adventurous." _

"Sev!" Fenix dropped the thongs that she used to cook to the floor in shock. She cursed when her precious clean floor was stained with oil and marinated chicken. "You mean– You didn't!"

Snape was laughing harder now. "It's not my fault!" he managed to growl.

__

"But I thought I kept that conversation private!" Remus wailed, feeling extremely embarrassed.

**********

Harry and Draco sat side by side, backs supported by the Mnid. They were silent but they needed no words to know what the other was thinking. The Boy Who Lived was relieved, now that the Dark Lord had fallen to the annals of forever history. Though he knew that there would be others who wanted to cause more trouble in the wizarding world to fill up the empty slot. At least Harry now had the time to breathe and to reflect. 

Draco meanwhile stared blankly at the tombstone seven feet away from him. Smooth white marble, with the emblem of a dragon curled around his father's name. With his oathbrother's help, Draco had created it. Well, carved it. Suddenly, he heard his father's voice filled the silence of his mind but Draco did not push it away. He listened in contentment. He still hadn't told Snape about what his father had said in the morning he died.

__

: You all right Drake? : Harry asked, smelling the scent of summer around them. The sunlight that had poked through the trees made the grove look strangely ethereal and magical. Suddenly overwhelmed with mischief, he pulled Draco up and made his oathbrother stand in the path of a ray of hazy, golden sun. 

__

: Green-Eyes! : Draco protested weakly, wondering what the green-eyed fellow was up to. 

__

: Don't be stubborn! Open yourself up and feel the magic! : Harry said with slight impatience. 

"What?" Draco asked in confusion. 

"Just do it!" Harry urged him.

Ten minutes had passed and the ache that had been buried deeply in Draco's heart was slowly dispelled by the sudden feeling of rightness of the place. He let out an involuntary gasp and opened his eyes. Harry was grinning widely.

"Feels great, right?" Harry asked lightly, then he closed his eyes and spread his arms open.

"That's an understatement, Green-Eyes," Draco whispered. He followed his oathbrother's example. "Great Bel. This place feels old," his voice was hushed, and was filled with a great sense of wonder.

"And if we are to find a place to build a school, I suggest we find some place like this," Harry agreed.

The Mnid watched the two young sorcerers with great pride. The light around them was dimming steadily but the two young men glowed. Although it noticed that the wizard with pale hair was exhausted, no doubt from having sleepless nights and grieving, the Mnid was glad that the earth magic of the place was slowly helping the boy as did his oathbrother. The Mnid breathed, smiling gently as Draco murmured his thanks to his oathbrother and stopped long enough to place one small kiss on top of the gravestone. The two young men began walking toward the direction of the Fire Master's home. Summer. From a season that seemed to cause apprehension and great mood swings (at least for Harry) was becoming a season of healing. The Mnid smiled again as it saw the Future opening up and rumbled. Things might calm down a bit for the company, but usually, things don't always go according to plans. The Mnid saw friendly chaos erupting all around, most of them instigated by the company that had brought Slytherins down to acknowledge love. 

**********

Fenix clutched at the edge of the table, feeling a little weird. She had been alone in the kitchen but then Harry and Draco returned. The boys quickly rushed to her side but she waved them off. 

"Drake, can you take care of the rest of the cooking?" she asked, somehow managing to keep her voice even.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Harry asked sternly and she nodded.

Fifteen minutes later, Fenix was staring at the kit with disbelief. _It turned red! _Strange happiness bubbled inside her. _Wait, don't get excited. You better confirm it with the Elementals. _The bathroom pulsed with magical energy and there was suddenly a swarm of Elementals closeted with her. Most of them turned out to be the Nymphs. They began singing and Fenix stared, suppressing the sudden need to jump up with joy. 

The Potions Master was looking for the Fire Master. He was surprised and became more than just curious when he heard singing coming from her bedroom. Strange, breathy voices filled the bedroom. The bathroom opened and a glowing Fire Master emerged. Snape's eyes quickly fell onto the strip she was holding in her hand. Snape froze, and his brain stopped thinking. It was minutes before one thought floated in his mind. _Merlin! She can't be! _

"Can you do me a favor?" Fenix breathed, knowing by the nuances of his face that he _knew_. Fenix did not wait for him to answer. "Would you hold on to Sirius while I inform Remus? I don't really mindspeech to keep it private so I'll do it directly." Snape managed to give her a dumb nod and followed her out, going back to the kitchen in a slight daze. 

Later that night, the house was suddenly filled with exclamations and Fenix's happy giggle was heard. Exactly ten seconds later, the classical rich baritone belonging to a Black roared out. 

__

"YOU ARE GOING TO BLOODY WELL MAKE MY OATHSISTER YOUR WIFE MOONY! BY NEXT WEEK! OR I'LL KILL YOU!" 

More expletives followed and Fenix's laughter filled the background. 

****

~ Finished ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**__**

This is written purely for fun!!!!

Fenix Maxwell, Fire Master available in Scotland, oathsister to Sirius Black, best friend to Severus Snape, fiancee of Remus Lupin and co-guardian of The Oathbrothers, was scowling fiercely at her best friend. 

****

Fenix: Sev, you are the one with the complaints. I'll bring her here and you talk. Take it or leave it.

****

Snape: All right. _The Potions Master growled, shoulders slumping with defeat. _

****

Remus: Keep a lid on it. You know that no matter how much you argue with her, sooner or later you would be the one to give in. _The werewolf gave the Potions Master a half-smile. Snape in return, snarled at the werewolf and flopped onto the sofa. He scowled darkly at Sirius who was trying to hide his amusement._

****

Snape: Something funny? _The Potions Master snapped at Harry's godfather. _

****

Sirius: It's nothing. 

****

Fenix: Hey, I'm about to bring her.

****

Remus: Bring it on! 

__

A strange column of blue light filled the center of the room and... 

****

Firesword: Bloody hell! _The author of 'Purpose' stared at the woman of her imagination with incredulity. _

****

Harry: Seems like this is really her favorite. No wonder it came up frequently in our dialogue. 

****

Draco: Fenix, is this whom I think she is? 

****

Fenix: I think so. 

****

Sirius: Hurry on Snivellus. She looks pretty much like a kid, her parents might start wondering where she is. 

****

Draco: You call her a kid? _Draco was staring at Harry's godfather with amusement and the look that the Slytherin kid gave the author was slightly intimidating. _

****

Harry: Ignore Drake. _Harry was looking at the author with a kind expression. Firesword was still looking a little stunned. _Please, take a seat. _But Firesword did not move. She did not even blink her eyes. _

****

Snape: Perhaps I should give my wand a wave and say 'Ennervate'. 

****

Firesword: Don't you dare! _That seemed to snap the author out of her thoughts and she slowly took an empty seat which coincidentally was positioned across the Potions Master. _

****

Sirius: We'll make sure that Snivellus do it fast so don't worry! _Sirius looked at Firesword with a mischievous smile that was extremely capable of pulling her into the throes of infatuation. But it seemed like the author was immune to him. _

****

Firesword: Well? _Firesword stared at Snape intently. _

****

Snape: I have certain questions that I would like to wrench from you. _At the word 'wrench' Firesword quirked up an eyebrow. She stayed silent. Snape did not speak and Firesword made a sound of aggravation at the back of her throat. _

****

Firesword: I'm waiting... _Though she had a look that seemed to be signifying 'nitwit', to Draco at least. _

****

Snape: Why did you have to make me so.... 

****

Firesword: Out of character? _Firesword gave a faint smile, at a man who is like perhaps twenty years older than she. _Simply because I don't have the heart to write you as an infuriating, greasy-haired, ill-tempered Potions Master. 

****

Snape: Perhaps you have not done enough research about my personality? 

****

Firesword: Probably... _She did not seem to be slightly disturbed by that observation. The air suddenly intensified and Firesword found herself being crushed painfully by an incredibly strong Dark Lord. _

****

Voldemort: You should have made me victorious! Everyone should be sick of how lucky that boy is! 

****

Firesword: Voldemort, I swear if you do not remove your hands from my butt in five seconds I'm going to rewrite about how your innocent victims cornered you. _The Dark Lord seemed not to care but fortunately Death came to the rescue and pulled him back toward the abyss. Firesword's eyes were watering and Snape moved to help her up. _I hate guys who touched my butt. Only my boyfriend has that right of course. Thank you. _Snape did not move, he just continued to look down at Firesword. The author bristled. _I know I'm short so don't be insulting. _Snape gave her a crooked grin._

****

Snape: As mushy as you had made me, I like the change. So, my next question will be: are you going to write more about this 'company'? 

****

Firesword: Yes. I hope so. But I have an idea running around inside my head and I felt like writing about this idea first. 

****

Harry: Really? Does it have anything to do with uhmmm... 'Purpose'? 

****

Firesword: No... Not really. It will be another post-OOTP fic, but scenes differ. 

****

Draco: Spoilers? 

****

Firesword: I feel like keeping it a secret... for now at least. 

****

Fenix: Is that all, Sev? _The Fire Master gave a demanding look at Snape. _

****

Snape: _He nods but raised a hand to stop Fenix from taking action. He moved closer to Firesword again and kissed her lightly on the cheek. The author blushed and mumbled something about a boyfriend. He leans in to whisper, too lowly for the others to hear. _I know you're infatuated with me.

****

Firesword:Is it that obvious? _Firesword murmured to Snape and motioned to Fenix to do her stuff. A few seconds later, the author was off the scene. _

****

Sirius: Snivellus, I do not bloody damn well understand what you were trying to do back then. 

****

Snape: I didn't expect you to Black! _The Potions Master retorted but Remus felt slightly uneasy by the mischievous glint in Snape's coal-black eyes. _

~~~~~~~~~~

****

Author's Notes:

__

Hello guys! You've come to the end of 'Purpose'! *sniffs* I'm feeling so sad! But well I do have a few more ideas running inside my head so I guess it is totally up to you if you want to come back and find out what I will be up to sometime in the future! :) I sincerely hope you guys had enjoyed reading this fic as much as I had in writing them! Hopefully, I didn't disappoint you guys! 

Now, I would like to thank firstly to the reviewers! Here's a list! (PS: Not all though, so please forgive me if you find your name missing!)

Fanfiction.Net: 

Acabooba, Angelbach, Anjelic Tiger, Ari, Athenia McGonagall, bast4, Bboo, BlackPhoenixTears, blunt-but-honest, chera, Cinnamon3, crazych99, DaBear, Dara, Maeko, delenn, Doris, FallenAngel664, hermionegreen, hermionepotter141, I-love-Sirus73, innocent like child, Jersey Pike, just saying, Katie Bell, Chaser, Kendra Meadows, kkroxyea, Lady Cinnibar, light*hope, lilblondie2182, Mano, Mikee, miss-marauder3, Momma-dar, Mr Padfoot1, My Sister Sue, Nikinuks, Nymph of the Uruwara, padfoot 1979, radarPLO, Rainie, Richan, Romm, Saturndragon, Senshichan14, SiriusWolf, Slinkey, Spontaneousxhumanxcombustion, Sstar, starfire, Stinky Stan, Syrah, TeamExtremeGurl, Ters, Tracey Claybon, Turelie Telcontar, WhOeVeR, wondering girl. 

****

FictionAlley:

Allexandrya, Camilla Goe, Dreamspell, Elentari II, Hogwarts Hag, Ob1Shanobe, Potty the Snowman & Screamingwhisper.

**__**

Thank you guys for reviewing my fic! And especially to those who really know how to criticize me *grins* like eg. SiriusWolf and Tracey Claybon, Hogwarts Hag (There are others like light*hope, Sstar...) You guys are the ones to point out my loopholes for me! I don't really know how to express myself but your reviews did help me a lot, believe me *grins again*. *yells gleefully at the top of my lungs* Mikee! Missed you! 

Okay...okay don't get frightened. I was so glad when you reviewed recently. *wishing that I can hug you!* Thought you had abandoned me! *smiles* And then to the rest of the READERS! Doesn't matter if you had reviewed or not, but I hope (repeating myself again) that you had enjoyed reading the fic! * wishing that I can hug all of you for reading my first HP fic!* Luv u guys! To those who are mugging for exams, good luck to you and hope everything goes smoothly for you! If you have any inquiries or whatever, feel free to mail! Once again, I love you guys! My eyes are watering right now, feeling really sentimental. *sniffs* 

Damn, this feels so inadequate... *sighs in frustration* Thank you guys. If it hadn't been for my sis and you, I don't think I would have finished this fic. One hundred and eight days, I had spent to write this up... And I'm glad for my Sagittarius stubbornness... It was what that had driven me to complete it. *smiles at the screen* 

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